The Guardian (Director's Cut)
by SGTBrowncoat
Summary: Itachi Uchiha receives his first mission in ANBU: protecting a certain trouble making Jinchuriki. He bonds quickly with the boy, but dark forces rise to threaten Itachi, Naruto, and those they care for most. Non-Massacre AU
1. Chapter 1

In anticipation of the sequel, I have decided to do a re-write of The Guardian. I have hunted down some typos, plugged some plot holes, and generally tried to give the story a bit more depth. Welcome to my new readers, and welcome back to those returning!

I own nothing!

**Chapter One**

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Twelve year old Itachi Uchiha had just been inducted into the secretive ranks of Konoha's ANBU. Even at his young age, he was already a well-known Jonin, feared by the enemies of the Leaf. He had made the decision to join ANBU knowing that there was little glory to be had in the assignment. Most of his missions from here on out would be highly classified; unknown to the village and unacknowledged by its leaders. Itachi had chosen ANBU because of a philosophy taught to him by a man he considered to be his older brother: A true shinobi is defined by self sacrifice; protecting the village from within its shadow.

Itachi had taken the ANBU oath, sworn in by the Third Hokage. He was now not only the youngest Jonin in the Leaf's history, but the youngest ANBU recruit as well. He was still only probationary, however. A veteran operative had been assigned as his sponsor; a mentor of sorts who would teach him the basics about how ANBU operated and would eventually determine whether or not he was ready to work on his own. It was tradition for the sponsor to provide a recruit his first mask and apply his ANBU tattoo once he had proven himself.

Itachi stood up as the door opened. He immediately recognized the operative who entered despite the cloth mask covering most of his face. He was even more feared a shinobi than Itachi himself.

"You're my sponsor, Kakashi-sempai?"

"That's what they tell me," The Copy Ninja replied, "Apparently they think that prodigies should stick to together, whatever that means."

"I'm honored, Sempai."

Kakashi Hatake was a legend, but beyond that, Itachi had his own connection to the man. Kakashi possessed an eye—a Sharingan—that had been given to him by a member of the Uchiha clan. Obito Uchiha was Itachi's cousin and the older brother of his best friend Shisui. Itachi and Shisui had looked up to him as children, and his death had been a painful blow to them both. Kakashi had been both Obito's best friend and his worst rival, so he was well known to Itachi.

"Apparently the way this is supposed to work is that I give you a mask." Kakashi said, "So I picked this up on the way here."

He tossed the mask to Itachi, giving him a chance to get a good look at it. It seemed that Kakashi had a sense of humor after all.

"A weasel?"

"Oh, is that what it is?" Kakashi asked innocently, "Anyway, you'll be wearing that whenever you're on duty from now on."

"Yes, sir."

"And don't call me 'sir' either. I'm your sponsor, not your commander. We have a mission in the morning. I'll be evaluating your performance. If you meet my standards, you'll earn your tattoo. If not, you'll stay probationary until I change my mind, they pass you off to another sponsor, or you get sent back to the Jonin Corps." Kakashi explained.

Itachi had wonder what exactly Kakashi's standards entailed—he had heard horror stories from his previous charges—but he only nodded.

"Be at the main gate at sunrise with supplies for at least a week."

"Understood."

With his briefing complete, Itachi rushed to change into civilian clothes. There was something important he did not want to miss. He made it to the Academy just in time. He saw his little brother walk out the main doors, and caught his attention with a wave. Sasuke's face lit up and he ran over.

"I thought you were gonna be busy, Aniki!" the six-year-old exclaimed.

"Did you really think I would miss picking you up from your first day of school? Come on. You can tell me about your day on the way home."

Sasuke chattered eagerly as the brothers made their way back toward the Uchiha Compund.

"My instructor's name is Iruka-sensei. He says we're his first class."

Itachi knew Iruka Umino. They had graduated the same year, though Itachi was five years younger. Iruka was young himself, but from what Itachi knew of him, he was a natural teacher, despite his reputation as the class clown. Itachi was confident that Sasuke would be in good hands.

"Who else is in your class? Anyone you know?" he asked.

"Sort of. Your friend's brother is there."

"That's good. Who else?"

"Um… I don't know anybody's name yet. There was this one kid who was asleep on his desk all day, and one with all these creepy bugs all over him. I hope I never have to sit by him."

"He must be an Aburame."

"Oh, and there was this one noisy kid who kept telling everybody he's gonna be Hokage."

Itachi smiled, "Maybe he will. You never know. So did you have fun?"

"Yeah… I'm kinda nervous about tomorrow though. Iruka-sensei said we have to take a…an attitude test."

"An _aptitude_ test. Don't worry, just do your best."

"Did you have to take it?"

"Yes, I did."

"What was your score?"

Itachi hesitated. He was one of only a handful of students ever to achieve a perfect score on the Academy's initial aptitude test, but if he told Sasuke that, it would only set a standard that would crush him not to meet. Their father's expectations were a heavy enough burden.

"I did pretty well," Itachi finally said, "But don't worry about my score. Just focus on doing the best you can. I know you'll do great. We can celebrate when I get back from my mission."

Sasuke's face fell, "You have to leave?"

"It's my first ANBU mission. It might take a week or two, but it's important. I'm sorry."

"I know it's important, I just… I was hoping you could help me with my homework and stuff…"

"I'm sorry, Otouto. As soon as I get back. I promise."

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Please review! Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

I own nothing!

**Chapter Two**

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Itachi was awake in the dark, predawn hours. He dressed in his ANBU uniform, still brand new, and pulled his mask down over his face. He ensured that his sheathed ninjato was secure on his back, then picked up the backpack he had prepared the night before, slinging it over one shoulder as he left the Uchiha Compound.

It was well past sunrise by the time Kakashi arrived at the village gates, but Itachi knew better than to comment on his lateness.

"Good morning, Sempai."

Kakashi gave a nod, "Let's get moving. I'll explain the details of the mission enroute."

The road was quiet. It seemed that the two ANBU operatives were the only ones traveling so early in the morning.

"Our mission is to establish surveillance on a suspected traitor and determine if our intel is good. If it is, we eliminate him." Kakashi explained.

"Who is the target?" asked Itachi.

"A former Leaf Jonin named Isao. He went rogue about six months ago, killing another Jonin in the process. Now we have reason to believe he is selling military secrets to enemies. The Intelligence Division thinks that he'll be making an appearance at a hot spring resort on the northern border of the Land of Rivers."

It was normally a nearly two day journey to the border, but the two operatives, traveling light and fast, made it in just over twenty-four hours. It was an almost completely silent journey; neither Itachi nor Kakashi were much for idle chat. They set up their observation point in the tree line a short distance from the hot spring the Intelligence Division's report had indicated. From there, there was little to do but wait. The morning of the second day, the team spotted their target, an average, unassuming-looking man with shaggy brown hair and a pockmarked face. He appeared to be alone.

"Intel thinks he'll be meeting with representatives from Kusa and Taki, minor villages trying to boost their military capabilities. They won't be in uniform, so keep your eyes open." Kakashi instructed.

Another three days dragged on without change. It was tedious, uncomfortable work, but Itachi stayed quiet and kept his focus. It was Kakashi who broke the silence.

"You have a lot of patience for a kid your age. Kind of surprising."

"…Thank you."

"That being said, I think you're way too young for ANBU." Kakashi said bluntly.

"You were young too when you were recruited, weren't you?" Itachi pointed out.

"I was fifteen, and in retrospect, maybe even that was too young. You're not even thirteen yet, and you've never had to serve in wartime like my generation did. You'll be asked to kill in any shinobi branch, but in ANBU it will be routine. You don't want to cross that line until you have to."

"…I've already killed. More than once." Itachi said quietly.

Kakashi's expression was hidden by both his masks, but the silence that followed was telling.

"When?" he asked, finally.

"I was a Genin and my team was assigned a normal D-rank mission delivering supplies to one of the sentry posts only about two miles outside the walls. We were ambushed by a rogue from Kiri who I can only guess was after the supplies. He had decapitated our sensei from behind before any of us knew what was happening. He must have thought I was too small to be a threat, because he focused on my older teammates. I saw my chance and I stabbed him in the neck with a kunai."

Itachi was able to relay the story with the calm matter-of-factness of a mission report, but in reality, the event had left him a shaking, blood-soaked mess. His first strike had killed the attacker, but Itachi, seven years old and terrified, had not stopped stabbing until his teammates recovered enough to pull him off the body. That was the day his Sharingan awakened. It was his first kill, but far from his first encounter with death.

Itachi had been four years old when his father had taken him to see one of the battlefields of the Third Great War, the ground sill red with blood and carpeted with rotting corpses. Even now, he could still remember the screams and moans of the mortally wounded as they lay abandoned and dying. Fugaku had hoped the experience would toughen his son up, harden him. Instead, it had planted within Itachi a deep seated hatred for war.

"I'm surprised you hadn't heard about that mission." Itachi said, "The story got around fast. People started avoiding me. They stopped putting me on teams with other Genin after that."

"So, killing comes easily to you, huh?" Kakashi asked.

"…I didn't say that… I understand that killing is often necessary, but I think it should be a last resort. That's why I like genjutsu."

There was another long silence before Kakashi nodded slowly and turned back to watch the target.

"So, what is worth killing for then?" he asked, not looking at Itachi.

"…Peace." Itachi replied quietly, "If my taking a life will prevent my little brother from ever knowing war… then I'll gladly do it."

Early the next morning, Itachi spotted a traveler approaching the hot spring. At first glance the man seemed to be a typical middle aged civilian, but then Itachi noticed his sandals. They were the light-soled shinobi sandals favored by Kusa for their ability to move quietly through the tall grass native to their country. Itachi also observed that the man's right hand hovered closer to his hip than his left, likely indicating a concealed weapon on that side.

"I think I found our Kusa operative, approaching from the north."

"Now that's timing." Kakashi replied, "Our Taki operative just crested the hill from the east. If Isao speaks to them, our orders are to take him out before he can pass on any sensitive information."

Sure enough, the deserter did indeed meet with both men. He spoke to both operatives separately, going between them intermittently. It was clear he was trying to play them against each other to raise the price.

"We'll move as soon as the lights go out. Make sure Kusa and Taki don't see anything."

"Yes, Sempai."

When the last light in the inn went dark, Itachi and Kakashi slipped out of the trees and easily scaled the wall into the courtyard. Kakashi slid open a window, and they both slipped quietly into the dark hallway. They located their target's room and took up positions on either side.

"We have to kill this one. You can stay outside if you want." Kakashi offered.

Itachi shook his head, "I took an oath to defend the village. I'll do what's necessary."

"In that case, I'll hold you to it. This will be your kill. Last chance to change your mind."

In response, Itachi drew his ninjato.

Kakashi slipped a paper flash bomb under the door. The flash was blinding but silent on the other side. The moment it went off, Itachi and Kakashi burst through the door, quietly enough not to wake any other guest in the inn. Isao was not caught completely off guard. He lunged quickly but blindly, swinging a kunai clumsily at the ANBU operatives. Itachi easily caught the blade against his own.

"The hell?!" Isao exclaimed, trying to blink the blindness away, "ANBU's sending brats now? That's just insulting."

Itachi activated his Sharingan and, with his free hand, formed the seal to spring the genjutsu trap he had prepared before even entering the building. Isao's eyes went glassy and the kunai slipped out of his hand.

"I guess the Third wasn't exaggerating your genjutsu skill." commented Kakashi.

"Let's just finish this, Sempai."

"Like I said, it's your kill."

Itachi reversed his grip in his ninjato, and in one smooth motion, drew it across Isao's throat. The traitor fell to the ground, a growing pool of blood flowing from the wound. Itachi kept his finger on his pulse until it disappeared.

"He's gone."

Kakashi searched the room while Itachi searched the body, collecting every trace of sensitive information or potential intel they found. With the room cleared, they departed. The Kusa and Taki operatives might suspect who had assassinated their contact, but there would be no sign that ANBU had ever set foot there. With any luck, they might even blame each other.

The journey back to Konoha was just as silent and uneventful as the one to the Land of Rivers. The village gates were a welcome sight. Itachi was eager to see Sasuke and find out how he had fared on his aptitude test, but first he had to report to the Hokage.

Itachi and Kakashi bowed before the Third.

"Please, please, relax." he said, "Did the intelligence prove accurate?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Kakashi reported, "The target was eliminated."

"That is unfortunate," Sarutobi sighed, "But well done. What is your current evaluation of your probationary operative, Kakashi?"

Kakashi's one visible eye glanced at Itachi, "He's ready."

The Hokage raised an eyebrow, "After one mission?"

Itachi shared the Hokage's surprise. Most ANBU operatives remained on probationary status for months, if not years, and those were men with far more experience than Itachi.

Kakashi shrugged, "You asked for my evaluation, sir."

"So I did. Very well, I trust your judgment. Congratulations, Itachi, and well done."

Back in ANBU headquarters, Itachi wiped the blood from his fresh tattoo.

"Kakashi-sempai… I need to know one thing." he said, "Did you only pass me… because I'm Obito's cousin?"

Kakashi looked away, "Obito had nothing to do with it. I started that mission without any intention of passing you. You're just a kid. But… I realized that you're also an extremely talented shinobi. I could either fail you for your own good, or pass you for the good of the village. I took a wild guess which one was more important to you. Welcome to ANBU, kid. Don't let it destroy you."

It was dark when Itachi made it back to the Uchiha Compound. His parents were sitting in the front room when he entered the house.

"You're home!" Mikoto exclaimed, "How was your mission?"

"It was successful."

"Are you okay? You weren't hurt, were you?"

"I'm fine, Mom."

"What about your evaluation?" Fugaku asked.

Itachi pushed up the sleeve on his left arm, revealing the tattoo.

Fugaku smiled widely, "Very good. At this rate you could be Hokage soon. Keep it up, Itachi."

"Where's Sasuke?"

"I think he's at the river." Mikoto replied.

Itachi dropped off his gear in his room, and then went looking for Sasuke. He found him sitting at the end of the dock and sat down beside him.

"Hey, Otouto. How did the test go?"

"…I got the highest score in my class." Sasuke muttered, not looking at him.

"That's great. So why don't you seem happy about it?"

"Because… Dad said I should have gotten a perfect score. Like you."

Itachi sighed. Fugaku had always held unreasonable expectations for both his sons. Itachi had endured sleep deprivation, chakra exhaustion, and broken bones to meet those expectations, resulting in chronic illness throughout his childhood. He was determined not to let Sasuke go through what he had. Unfortunately, that meant that Sasuke had to endure Fugaku's disappointment instead.

"Sasuke… Don't worry about what Dad says. You're going to surpass me someday. I have no doubt about that. Someday I'll just be a footnote under your name in the history books."

"You're a liar, Itachi. Everybody knows Dad's setting you up to lead the clan, maybe even be Hokage someday. Nobody cares about me."

"I do. I will always be there for you, Sasuke, even if it's only as an obstacle for you to overcome. That's what big brothers are for." Itachi told him, "Besides, I would make a terrible Hokage."

Sasuke finally cracked a smile at that. Itachi reached over and poked his forehead affectionately.

"Come on," he said, getting to his feet, "Let's go home."

"Wait! How was your mission, Aniki?"

"It was fine. But I'm full ANBU now, so I'm probably going to be gone a lot more from now on."

"You'll still be able to spend time with me sometimes, right?"

"Of course."

"Then that's okay."

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Thanks for reading! Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

I own nothing!

**Chapter Three**

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Itachi reported to ANBU headquarters, prepared to receive his first official assignment. He was surprised when, instead of being assigned to a squad right away as he expected, he was directed to the Hokage's office.

"Itachi Uchiha reporting as ordered, Hokage-sama."

"Thank you for coming, Itachi," Sarutobi said, leaning back in his chair, "I have an assignment that has been troubling me for some time. No one seemed right for the job, at least not until you passed your evaluation yesterday. This is a very sensitive mission, but I think you are ideal for it."

"I'm ready, sir."

"How much do you know about the Kyūbi attack six years ago?"

Itachi was a bit thrown off by the odd question. The attack was common knowledge, ingrained into the minds of everyone who had lived through it.

"…The Nine Tails attacked Konoha. Large portions of the village were destroyed, and the defense resulted in heavy casualties. The Fourth Hokage sacrificed his life to seal the beast away."

Sarutobi nodded, "And do you know what happened to the Nine Tails?"

"Not exactly. I've heard rumors that it was sealed into a human."

"A human who is host to a tailed beast is known as a Jinchūriki. The last Nine Tails Jinchūriki was Kushina Uzumaki, Minato's—the Fourth's—wife."

That certainly piqued Itachi's interest, "Kushina? I knew her; she was my mother's best friend. You're saying she was…"

"The host of the Kyūbi, yes. There was an enemy, one whose identity we still do not know, who took advantage of Kushina's childbirth to release the Nine Tails and turn it on the village. Both Kushina and Minato gave their lives to protect their newborn son, and sealed the Kyūbi safely inside of him."

"…In a baby?"

"He's six years old now and just started the Academy. He doesn't know any of this; not who his parents are, nor that he is a Jinchūriki. His father wanted him to be seen as a hero, but unfortunately, there are many in the village who do not feel that way. He is hated."

The pieces began to fit together in Itachi's mind, "The blond boy who is always in trouble for his pranks in the village."

"Naruto." Sarutobi confirmed, "He is very… energetic, a bit of a trouble maker, but he means well. There are those in the village that would like to see him dead, not to mention the enemies of the Fourth Hokage, and the man who orchestrated the attack six years ago. All of them mean him harm, and I believe there have already been attempts on his life. If the other hidden villages ever identify him as a Jinchūriki, the danger will only increase tenfold. He has had an ANBU squad watching over him since his birth, but the situation is changing, and I think it is time to take a new approach to his protection. I've decided to have the squad stand down during the day in favor of a single bodyguard."

"If the threat is increasing, why reduce security?" Itachi asked.

"When it comes down to it, security is not my greatest concern for Naruto. He has been alone his entire life. He has been in an orphanage until now, but he was an outcast even there. He was kicked out when he entered the Academy. I am concerned what effect so much isolation will have on him. Naruto needs someone who will look out for him, but also someone he can look up to; a mentor, or an older brother figure."

"And you want… me? Hokage-sama… I'm no role model."

"I understand that you have a younger brother of your own."

"Yes, sir."

"It is also my understanding that you value your brother over nearly anything else."

Itachi found it a bit unsettling that the Hokage apparently knew so much about his personal life.

"What I am asking, "Sarutobi continued, "Is that you try to apply the same dedication to this mission that you do to your brother. Can you do that?"

"I… I'll do my best, Hokage-sama."

"Excellent. You will meet with the current squad leader today. First thing tomorrow you will take over for the normal detail until sunset. Unless you have any questions, you are dismissed, Itachi."

Itachi bowed and departed. He was still catching up with everything he had been told. This was not the kind of assignment he had expected when he joined ANBU. A part of him wondered if this was the Hokage's way of saying that he agreed with Kakashi that he was too young for black ops. If that was so, all Itachi could do was try to prove himself in the tasks he was given, just as he always had.

The leader of the security detail was an older man named Captain Arata with silver hair peeking out from his bear mask.

"So, you're taking over the day shift, are you?" he asked in a gravelly voice.

"I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes, sir." Itachi replied.

"Don't worry about it. My team with be glad for the time off. That kid is a pain in the ass to keep up with."

"With all due respect sir… How does Naruto get away with so much if you're watching him all the time?"

Arata grunted, "We're his security detail, not his nannies. It's not our job to keep him out of trouble, just to keep him breathing."

"I see…"

Following his meeting with Captain Arata, Itachi made his way back to the Uchiha Compound. He started to remove his mask as he passed through the gates, only to find himself suddenly trapped in a tight headlock. Instinctively, he moved to counterattack, but his attacker vanished as quickly as he had appeared.

"Still too slow, Itachi."

A messy haired young man in a Konoha Military Police uniform seemed to appear out of thin air.

"Aren't we a little old for games, Shisui?" Itachi grumbled, trying to sound annoyed, but failing to hide his smirk.

"You might be an ANBU hotshot now, but you're still only twelve. You've gotta loosen up or you're going to end up like your dad."

Itachi sighed and picked up his dropped mask from the ground, "It might be too late for that."

"Nah, I don't believe that. Behind all that skill and seriousness, you're a big softie." Shisui replied, "So, you busy today?"

Itachi shook his head, "I'm on standby."

"I just got off duty. Want to do some target practice?"

"Alright. That sounds good."

Shisui was Itachi's cousin and had been his best friend as long as he could remember. He was like his older brother. Shisui was seventeen and a Jonin who had made a name for himself before transferring to the Military Police at the clan's behest. He had recently been promoted to captain after only a few months with the force. He was laid back and playful, especially for an Uchiha, but he could be deadly serious when the situation warranted.

The cousins walked to their usual training spot, a clearing in the woods at the edge of the Compound known only them and one other friend. They set up their kunai and shuriken targets behind obstacles and in blind spots, trying to make them as difficult as possible. They then went about trying to outdo each other with more and more complex shots.

"So," Shisui said, collecting his kunai, "Uncle Fugaku has been telling the entire clan how his son passed his ANBU evaluation on his first mission."

"Hn." Itachi grunted.

"Guess that means you'll be around even less now, huh?"

"Actually, it looks like my new assignment will be keeping me in the village most of the time."

"Really? What's the assignment?"

ANBU missions were always classified, but there was no one in the world that Itachi trusted more than Shisui.

"It's a personal security detail." he told him.

"Who in the village needs an ANBU security detail?"

"…A kid with a lot on his shoulders." Itachi replied, flinging a shuriken and hitting his target dead center.

"Don't tell me you're talking about that Jinchūriki kid."

"You know about that?" Itachi asked, surprised.

"It's one of those things they tell you about when you make captain with the police force. I guess Uncle Fugaku's afraid the kid's going to lose control of the Nine Tails someday. He wants us keeping an eye on him." Shisui explained.

"The Hokage wants me to be some kind of mentor to him."

"Well, he picked the right guy."

"The Third said the same thing. Why does everyone seem to think that?"

Shisui chuckled, "If there was ever anyone born to fill the big brother role, it's you. Besides, I think Sasuke and that kid are about the same age. Maybe they'll be friends."

"Maybe."

Itachi and Shisui stayed at the clearing training until after sunset when they finally decided to head back. They walked together until the split in the road between their own homes.

"Good luck with the assignment, Itachi." Shisui said with a wave, "Don't work too hard."

"I'll try. Goodnight, Shisui-niisan."

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Thanks for reading! Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

I own nothing!

**Chapter Four**

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It was early the next morning when Itachi reported to his new post outside Naruto Uzumaki's apartment. He found another ANBU operative perched in a tree outside the boy's window.

"So you're my relief, huh?" asked the woman in the bird mask, "Have fun babysitting the demon brat, and good luck. Oh, and by the way, looks like he's going to be late again."

With that, she left.

It soon became clear that Naruto was indeed going to be late for school. He had only a few minutes before class and was still fast asleep. Itachi decided that if he was supposed to be mentoring the boy, letting him be late would not be a very good start to the mission. He jumped down to the open window, crouching on the sill.

"Naruto."

No response.

"Naruto!"

Naruto jerked awake so violently that he fell completely out of bed, landing in a tangle of blankets on the floor and looking dazed.

"You're going to be late if you don't hurry."

"Huh? Oh, crap!"

Naruto scrambled to his feet, slipping on the blankets not once but twice. He hopped out the door, still in his pajamas, trying to pull on his sandals.

Itachi shadowed Naruto as he ran through the village, making it to the Academy with seconds to spare. Satisfied that his charge was secure for the moment, Itachi found a shady area under a tree and leaned back against the trunk. He was technically off duty while Naruto was in school, but he did not feel comfortable leaving his post.

"Itachi? Is that you?" someone called.

There a moment of confused panic as Itachi tried to figure out how he had been identified despite his mask. Then, a moment later, he recognized the voice, and realized that it had not been his face that gave him away, but his scent.

"You know, Hana, I wear a mask for a reason. You can't just go around calling my name like that."

"I don't think the mask is helping as much as you seem to think it is." Hana replied, "Hate to tell you this, but I don't think there's anyone else in ANBU that short and skinny."

Hana was Itachi's only close friend aside from Shisui. They had met in the Academy when they were six years old. Being the prodigy heir to the Uchiha clan had garnered Itachi a bit of a fan club at that age, one that quickly grew to include every girl in his class. All but one. Hana Inuzuka had marched up to him, declared that she did not like him and challenged him to a fight. They had been friends ever since. Like most members of her clan, Hana was a skilled tracker, and was always flanked by her three gray, wolf-like ninken, the Haimaru Brothers. She defied the less flattering reputation of her clan, however, by being highly intelligent. She was already skilled in veterinary medicine, and was studying to become a field medic.

Hana gave an over-exaggerated glance around, before capturing Itachi in a tight hug.

"Sorry," she said, releasing him, "I just haven't seen you forever. And look at you! ANBU! And I just barely made Genin."

"You'll catch up." Itachi assured her, straightening the mask she had knocked askew.

"Only because they're going to run out of promotions to give you."

"What are you doing here anyway?" Itachi asked.

"Just dropped Kiba off for school. What are _you_ doing here?"

"If I told you that, I'd have to kill you." Itachi replied, smirking behind his mask.

Hana punched his shoulder lightly, "Whatever. I've gotta go. I have a long day of cat chasing and yard work ahead of me."

"Don't take those D-ranks for granted. Be careful." Itachi warned.

"Same to you, Weasle-boy."

Itachi spent the rest of the morning just watching the activity in the village from the shadows. He had always been fascinated by how much could be discerned about a person just by observing their daily routines, and it kept him busy. At lunch time, the Academy students filed out of the building to eat. Naruto's bright orange nightshirt made him easy to spot, but he would have stood out anyway. The other students gave him a wide berth. He sat down by himself with a bag of vending machine potato chips, well out of sight of his classmates. Itachi made his way over to the boy.

"Do you always eat alone?" Itachi asked.

Naruto looked up, startled, "Yeah… Hey, you're the guy who woke me up this morning! Why are you talking to me? None of the other ANBU guys ever talk to me."

"They aren't allowed to; I am. Are those chips the only thing you have to eat?"

"I didn't have time to pack lunch this morning."

Itachi had some field rations in his supplies. They were not exactly the most appetizing meal, but they had to be healthier than what Naruto had. He handed the pouch over to the boy.

Naruto eyed the food suspiciously, "Why are you being nice to me?"

"Why shouldn't I be?"

"Nobody else is." replied Naruto pointedly.

"I'm not everyone else."

Naruto stared at him for a long time, apparently trying to decide if he wanted to trust him.

"What's your name?"

"You can call me Weasel." Itachi replied.

It was tradition for an ANBU operative's codename to be based on the animal depicted on his or her mask. The practice was even more appropriate in Itachi's case.

"That's not a name."

"It is in ANBU."

"Well… thanks, Weasel."

"Make sure you set your alarm for tomorrow. You don't want this to happen again."

"I will."

Itachi went back to observing until school let out for the day. He saw Sasuke first. He was being hounded by a group of girls. Itachi could not help but chuckle; he remembered those days. A while passed and most of the other students were gone, but there had still been no sign of Naruto. Finally the main doors opened and Naruto exited alongside a young instructor. Itachi recognized him as Iruka Umino by the scar across his nose. The two seemed to be in the middle of a serious discussion, one that Naruto did not seem thrilled to be a part of. When they finished, Iruka returned inside and Naruto trudged off. Itachi easily caught up to the boy and dropped down from the rooftops to walk beside him.

"Trouble in school?" Itachi asked.

Naruto sighed, "Iruka-sensei says I'm failing academics."

"Academics, huh? Which part are you having trouble with?"

"All of it! I can't… I can't read." Naruto admitted, shamefaced.

Itachi was stunned, "No one ever taught you to read?"

Naruto shook his head.

"Does Iruka know that?"

"If I tell him, he'll think I'm stupid."

"I doubt he would think that. He would probably help you."

"But if I got extra help, then everyone else would know, and _they'd_ think I'm stupid."

Itachi knew from experience that kids could be cruel like that.

"…Tell you what. How about if _I _help you? Then no one would know but us."

Itachi was no teacher, but how could he stand by and let the son of the Fourth Hokage flunk out of the Academy without at least trying to do something about it?

"Really?! You'd do that?! When can we start?" Naruto asked excitedly, hopping from one foot to the other.

"We can start now if you want."

"Yeah!"

For the next several weeks, Itachi tutored Naruto every day after school. Despite his short attention span, Naruto was a surprising fast and eager learner. It was immediately apparent to Itachi how much potential the boy had if someone was willing to put in the time.

It was late one afternoon and Itachi was sitting with Naruto in the grass with a small chalk slate in his lap, helping him with his katakana characters.

"Iruka-sensei says I'm doing better already." Naruto told him proudly.

"That's good. You've been working hard." Itachi replied.

"Yeah, but there's still this one jerk who keeps calling me a loser."

Itachi sighed, wiped the chalk from the slate, and leaned back on his arms, "Some kids are just like that. Don't let them get to you, and don't try to push back. Just prove them wrong later."

"That's what Iruka-sensei said too, but this guy is always calling me names like 'idiot' and 'dead-last'. He says he's gonna be the best in the class for sure, just 'cause his brother's in ANBU and graduated when he was like seven or something."

Itachi paused, "…What's this boy's name?"

"Sasuke. Jerk."

Itachi grimaced. He would have to talk to Sasuke about this. He was always so sweet and well-behaved at home, Itachi would never have guessed he was acting like a bully at school.

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Thanks for reading! Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

I own nothing!

**Chapter Five**

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Itachi returned home that night and found Sasuke at the kitchen table working on the same homework he had just helped Naruto finish. He sat down across from him.

"Spelling, huh? Want some help?"

"Okay… Why do we even have to learn this stuff anyway?" Sasuke grumbled, "What does this have to do with being a ninja?"

"Everything you learn at the Academy is important. Being a ninja isn't all fighting. You'll have to know these things when you get older."

"…Fine. But I still wish they'd teach us some ninjutsu already."

"Other than that, how is school going? Have you made any friends?"

"I guess. But there are all these weird girls who keep following me around all the time."

Itachi smiled, "You might just have to get used to that." he said, "Listen, Sasuke… I heard something about you giving a hard time to a boy in your class."

"Huh?"

"I heard you've been calling him names."

"Who? Naruto?" Sasuke asked with a scowl, "He's the dead-last. Everybody calls him names."

"That doesn't make it right for you to do it too."

"But he's so dumb!"

"Otouto… Don't talk about people like that. If you give this boy a chance, he might surprise you. I was made fun of when I first started the Academy, you know." Itachi pointed out.

"You? Why?"

"I was small for my age. They thought I was weak."

"You're different though." Sasuke said, dismissively.

"You don't know that. Naruto could end up being the best ninja in your class. And even if he _is _the dead last, that's no reason to treat him badly."

"You want me to be nice to him?"

"I want you to be nice to everyone, but yes, I'd like you to at least try to make friends with him."

"Do I have to?" Sasuke whined.

"I can't make you do anything, but if you try, you might find that you like having him for a friend. All those kids in your class are going to be your comrades, including Naruto. You never know, you might need him to save your life someday. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Good. Back to spelling then."

Naruto was very excited after school the next afternoon. He ran over to Itachi as soon as school let out, a grin practically splitting his face in half.

"Guess what! Sasuke Uchiha ate lunch with me today, and then people started talking to me!"

Itachi had to marvel at the influence of the popular kid in school. He was proud of his brother for swallowing his pride and reaching out the outcast. He hoped this might be a step closer to acceptance for Naruto.

That evening when the night squad took over, Itachi decided to spend some time training at the clearing. His assignment on Naruto's PSD had not offered much in the way of combat. There had been once incident involving a falling crate that Itachi was fairly certain was not an accident, but no one had been foolish enough to attack Naruto directly. Itachi knew this assignment would not last forever, and he wanted to keep his skills sharp.

When he reached the clearing, Itachi was surprised to find that he was not alone. The sound of kunai striking wood was the first clue, followed by the pile of gray fur curled up beneath a tree.

"Hana? How did you get into the Compound?"

Hana tossed her last kunai before turning to face him, "Your guards suck. Couldn't even catch a Genin with three dogs sneaking over their wall."

"You went over the wall?! Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? If you'd timed it wrong, you could have been burnt to a crisp by a jumpy sentry!"

"Relax. I do it all the time."

"_That _is supposed to make me feel better? You know, there's a lot less risk of painful death at the training field."

"Maybe, but I like this spot." Hana replied, "Besides, I know _you_ aren't going to be at the training field. We haven't had a chance to train together for a long time. I miss it."

"…So do I," Itachi admitted, "But you've just been training here by yourself?"

"Not always. Shisui's here sometimes, and he doesn't freak out so much over how I got here."

"Well, _I'm _here now. Do you want to spar?"

"Thought you'd never ask." Hana replied with a feral grin.

Hana had been Itachi's sparring partner for years. There was a huge gap in both rank and ability now, but only Shisui knew his fighting style better than she did. As long as Itachi was not allowed to use his Sharingan or genjutsu, Hana could usually keep up just fine. Soon they were both out of breath and sporting a few new bumps and bruises, but smiling none the less.

"See? This is why I come here instead of the training field." Hana said, flopping down on the grass, "You're way more fun to beat up than the other Genin."

"I don't recall anyone getting beat up but you." Itachi replied, lying down beside her.

"Yeah? Well, that nice welt under your eye says different."

Itachi smiled, "I _did_ miss this. I wish we could do it more often."

"Is that assignment of yours still keeping you busy?"

"Very." Itachi replied with a smirk.

"Still keeping secrets?"

"Well… I guess I'll tell you I'm protecting a little boy."

Hana quirked an eyebrow, "Babysitting?"

Itachi laughed, "Not really. I wasn't real thrilled about it in the beginning, but he's a good kid. I don't mind the assignment."

"Careful, that big brother instinct of yours is showing. You might give away that you're not as tough and scary as you like to pretend."

"Speaking of brothers," Itachi said, trying to change the subject, "How is yours?"

Hana groaned, "Kiba is Kiba. Thinks he's too cool for things like homework and that he should be out saving the world already."

"Sounds like another Inuzuka I used to know."

"Mom will straighten him out. She did to me."

Itachi and Hana kept talking long past dark. Finally they realized how late it had gotten and reluctantly headed out of the woods.

"Want me to walk you home?" Itachi offered when they reached the Uchiha gate.

"Nah. Me and the Brothers can take care of ourselves. Right, boys?" Hana replied, scratching one of the dogs behind the ears, "Today was fun. Let's not wait another eternity to do it again."

Itachi was smiling when he returned home. That changed when he walked in the front door and found his father waiting with his arms crossed and a sour look on his face.

"Care to explain to me why that Inuzuka girl was on our land again? I thought I was clear about this last time."

"We were training." Itachi replied in a clipped tone.

"I've told you more than once to stay away from her. She and her clan are nothing but a pack of dirty mutts. There is no excuse for an Uchiha, least of all you, to be associating with one of them. She's below you."

Itachi had heard it all before, "Is that all?"

Fugaku scowled and turned away, "Don't let me catch her in the Compound again."

When Itachi continued on toward his room, he stumbled upon Sasuke hiding in the hallway.

"What are you doing back here?"

"…Listening." Sasuke admitted guiltily.

Itachi sighed, "Come on. Let's talk."

The brothers sat down on Itachi's bed, Sasuke fidgeting nervously.

"What do you think about what Dad said?" Itachi asked.

"…I don't know." Sasuke mumbled.

"Listen… Dad isn't always right, okay? I know you've always been taught that the Uchiha are superior, but… that isn't always true. Our Sharingan _is _powerful, and it helps us become great shinobi, but just being born and Uchiha doesn't make us better than anyone else. Does that make sense?"

"I guess…"

"People like Mom and Dad are going to tell you that there is nothing more important than the clan. That's not true either. The sole purpose of the clan is to support the village. The village is what's most important."

"…How do you know you're right and Dad's wrong?"

Itachi smiled sadly, "I guess you're going to have to decide that for yourself. Anyway," he said, "How was school?"

Sasuke shrugged, "Fine, I guess. I ate lunch with Naruto like you said. I still think he's annoying, but I guess he's not as bad as I thought."

"Well, I'm proud of you, Otouto."

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

I own nothing!

**Chapter Six**

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It had been several months since Itachi had begun his assignment as Naruto's bodyguard. He awoke one morning to a day he dreaded. Some might have called it an important day for him, but Itachi would have preferred that it just be forgotten. It was his thirteenth birthday.

Itachi slipped out the Compound early to avoid his family and made his way to his morning post. Captain Arata was on duty when he arrived.

"The Hokage wanted me to send you to his office when you got here. I'm supposed to stay on duty until you get back."

"Do you know what it's about?" Itachi asked, apprehensively.

"Not a clue, but hurry it up. I've been here all night." Arata grumbled.

Itachi rushed to the Hokage's office. He was a bit surprised to find him there so early in the morning. He wondered, not for the first time, when the old man found time to sleep. Itachi bowed respectfully.

"Please, relax. You may remove your mask, as well."

Itachi did as he was instructed, hanging his mask from his belt.

"As I understand it, today is your birthday." Sarutobi began.

Itachi almost winced. The Hokage was the last person he wanted to bring up that subject.

"Yes, sir."

"In that case, happy birthday. Make sure you take some time to celebrate today."

"I'll try, Hokage-sama"

"Somehow I doubt that." Sarutobi said with a knowing smile, "But that is not why I called you here. I've received reports from Naruto's instructors. His grades have improved drastically over the past few months. Even his behavior has become less disruptive. It is clear to me that you are responsible for his turnaround. You've done far more than I could have hoped in such a short amount of time. I'm glad to see that I chose the right person for this assignment."

"Thank you, sir."

"I have decided to appoint you to captain. Captain Arata is retiring, and I want you to assume command of his squad."

Itachi was overwhelmed, "I… I don't know what to say. Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"You've earned it. Keep up the good work, Captain Uchiha."

Despite the dramatic start to the morning, the rest of the day passed normally for Itachi, at least until he was heading home for the evening. About a block from the Uchiha Compound, he felt a rush of air at his back and was suddenly trapped in a by-now-familiar headlock. As always, he was able to escape it easily, but this time was unexpectedly bowled over and pinned by a large gray dog. It barked happily and licked his face.

"Good boy!" Hana's voice praised, "Now, come."

The dog dashed to his master's side, and Shisui helped Itachi to his feet.

"What did I do to deserve and ambush?" Itachi asked grudgingly, dusting himself off.

"Don't play dumb, birthday boy." Hana replied.

"Yep. Come on, Itachi; dinner's on me tonight." added Shisui.

Shisui and Hana practically dragged Itachi through the village. He tried his hardest to act annoyed, but he had to admit that his friends knew him well. They took him to a local restaurant known for their onigiri and dessert dango, two of his favorites. A short while into the meal, he allowed himself to relax, and found himself smiling and laughing as Hana told stories about her Genin team.

"So then the stupid cat latches onto his head, and he's running around screaming for us to get it off. The Haimaru Brothers see it and get all excited, and start chasing him around, barking, which of course just makes the cat dig in even deeper. Finally Komia-sensei gets fed up, knocks us all out cold with a gas bomb, animals included, and just leaves us there while she turns in the damn cat by herself."

Itachi's sides hurt from laughing. As much as he had resisted, it had turned out to be a very enjoyable evening. The three finished their meals slowly and were still laughing amongst themselves as they left the restaurant.

Itachi, Shisui, and Hana stopped just outside the Uchiha Compound gate.

"I want to thank you guys. I had a lot of un tonight." Itachi said.

"Well, it's not quite over yet. You still have to open your present." Hana replied.

"I didn't ask for a present."

"Too bad, you got one anyway." said Shisui, handing him a small box, "It's kind of a collaborative effort. She picked it out, I _paid_ for it."

"_One of us _makes Jonin pay." Hana said, elbowing him in the ribs.

"I really didn't want anything." Itachi objected.

"Every birthday it's like pulling teeth with you! Just open it, Weasel-boy!" Hana exclaimed.

Itachi reluctantly complied, slipping the box open. Inside was a silver necklace with three loops linked into the chain. It was simple, but it was the simplicity that appealed to Itachi. He liked it very much.

"Wow… Thank you." he said with a smile.

Hana stood up on her toes and kissed his cheek, "Happy birthday, Itachi." he said before waving and heading toward home.

Itachi watched her go until she and the Brothers disappeared around a corner. When he turned back, he found Shisui wearing a smug grin.

"What?" Itachi demanded.

"I knew it. You like Hana."

Itachi rolled his eyes and walked away without a word.

"You can't hide it from me, Itachi!" Shisui called after him, laughing.

Itachi walked into the house, only to find both his parents waiting for him. In his experience, that was rarely a good thing, even on his birthday. He had a bad feeling.

"Where's Sasuke? Did something happen?" he asked, voicing the first fear that came to mind.

"What? He's in bed; he's fine." Mikoto replied, "Sit down, Itachi. We have good news for you."

Itachi seriously doubted that. He sat down, anticipating the worst.

"Son, you've established yourself as a shinobi." Fugaku began, "Now you need to start focusing on the good of the clan."

"Are you going to tell me to transfer to the Police Force?" Itachi guessed.

"No. You are most valuable to the clan in ANBU. This is about the bigger picture, about your future and that of the entire clan. You are my heir, and at some point you will succeed me as the leader of the Uchiha. It is important that you are properly positioned within the clan."

"Would you just tell me what this is about?"

"We've discussed it with the council, and decided on a suitable wife for you. We set up an engagement with Mariko Uchiha."

There was a long silence as Itachi tried to decide if he had misheard.

"…An arranged marriage? This has to be a joke!"

"Don't be dramatic, Itachi. This is the best thing for everyone." Fugaku said, and left the room.

"Mom… you can't be serious about this." Itachi said pleadingly.

"It's not as bad as you're imagining. My engagement to your father was arranged too."

"Yes, and you're the picture of marital bliss." Itachi said sarcastically.

Mikoto gave her son a chastising glare, "You know how important it is to maintain the purity of the bloodline. The Senju failed to do it, and now they're all but extinct. You don't want that to happen to us, do you?" she asked, "Mariko is from an extremely influential family within the clan with a long history of powerful Sharingan."

"Did anyone think to ask if I _wanted_ to marry Mariko? If I even _like _her?"

"You have lots of time; she'll grow on you. Besides, it wasn't as if you were holding out for someone else, right?"

"I… Maybe I was… I don't know!" Itachi stammered uncharacteristically, too worked up to think straight.

"Oh… I see." sighed Mikoto, "Itachi… Hana is a nice girl, but she isn't right for you. She's genetically inferior, and you _know _that. You're still young. You'll understand in time. Don't worry. Just remember that it's for the clan."

"Maybe I don't care about the purity of the bloodline. Maybe I don't care about the clan." Itachi snapped.

"You're only saying that because you're angry."

"Well, you're right about one thing. I _am _angry."

Itachi stormed to his room. He felt the urge to slam to door shut, but he restrained himself. He sat down on his bed, staring at the wall in the dark. He had met Mariko Uchiha once or twice. She was a couple years older than him and a capable kunoichi, but Itachi had not particularly cared for her. He did not see that changing. He had no intention of marrying her. Marriage was not even something he was considering at the moment. Besides being thirteen, he had his own duties to fulfill and they took precedence.

Itachi calmed himself with a few deep breaths so he could think rationally. He knew he would not be expected to marry until he turned eighteen. That was still years away. He decided to deal with the issue when the time came. For now, it would make his life easier if his parents and the rest of the clan believed he had simply accepted it. He decided not to mention any of it to Hana. It would only upset her, and she was not one to keep her mouth shut when she was angry.

Reaching into his pocket, Itachi pulled out the box containing his birthday present. He took out the necklace, and clasped it around his neck. It would be hidden by his high collar, but he still liked having it there. There was a strange satisfaction just knowing how his father would react if he knew where it came from.

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Thanks for reading! Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

I own nothing!

**Chapter Seven**

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It was the last day of the school year for Academy students before their month-long break. That meant that Itachi's work days were about to get much longer trying to keep up with Naruto all day. When school let out, Naruto was even more hyper than usual, clearly excited for his time off. Itachi decided to take him to the training field to let him burn off some energy. He taught him a few of the basic taijutsu techniques his class would be learning in their second year, then let him go to town on a training dummy. Finally it seemed he had done the impossible and worn the boy out. The two sat down against one of the three large wooden posts at the edge of the field.

"I'm starving." Naruto complained.

As had become their routine, Itachi handed him some of his field rations, which today consisted of a packet of beef jerky. Naruto eagerly dug in.

"Don't you want some, Weasel-niisan?" he asked, waving a piece in front of Itachi.

"Is this another attempt at getting me to take my mask off?" Itachi asked, knowingly.

"Come on! You're my only friend in the whole world, and I don't even know what you look like!" the seven-year-old exclaimed.

Itachi felt a pang of guilt. He knew that Naruto had grown attached to him, and felt terrible having to lie to him.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I can't disobey my orders."

"I figured." Naruto sighed dejectedly.

After being relieved that evening, Itachi went to the Hokage's office instead of going straight home.

"It's good to see you, Itachi." the Third greeted cheerfully, "What can I do for you?"

"I need to make a request, Hokage-sama. I want permission to tell Naruto who I am."

"I see." Sarutobi said, stroking his beard, "I thought this might happen eventually."

"If I'm going to protect him, it's important that he trusts me. Hiding something from him as simple as my name and face seems… counterproductive."

The old man smiled, "I agree. Permission granted."

Itachi bowed, "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"Thank you for taking this mission as seriously as you have."

It was true that when Itachi had first been given this assignment he had been less than enthusiastic. He had been concerned that it was indicative of his superiors' lack of faith in his combat abilities. However, as he came to understand Naruto's importance to the village, he began to understand the significance of his mission as well. Beyond that, Naruto was not the only one who had grown attached.

The next day, Naruto did not emerge from his apartment until just before noon, apparently taking full advantage of his opportunity to sleep in. Itachi was waiting.

"You're still here, Nii-san?" Naruto asked, surprised.

"Of course. _Some_ of usdon't get a summer break." Itachi teased.

"Does that mean you can hang out with me all day?"

Itachi chuckled, "If you want."

"Awesome!"

"Come with me. I have a surprise for you."

"Really? What kind of surprise?"

"You'll see."

Itachi led Naruto to the wooded area near the village's south wall where he usually helped him with his homework. He set down the backpack he had brought with him and pulled out two bento boxes.

"Lunch!" Naruto exclaimed, eying the food hungrily.

"Listen, Naruto; do you remember what we talked about yesterday?"

Naruto looked sheepish, "Um… Not really."

"You wanted me to take my mask off."

"Oh! Yeah, I remember."

"Well, I talked to the Hokage last night. He decided to let me tell you who I am."

"No way! Really?!"

Itachi held up a placating hand, "Yes, but it is very important that you promise you will never tell anyone."

"I promise!" Naruto replied, looking as if he would explode from excitement.

Itachi gave a nod, and slipped off his mask.

Naruto tilted his head, "Whoa… You're way younger than I thought."

Itachi chuckled, "I'm thirteen."

"You're thirteen and you're already in ANBU? That's _so _cool! You're just like Sasuke's brother!"

"I _am _Sasuke's brother. My real name is Itachi Uchiha."

Naruto was silent for a long moment then suddenly burst into laughter, "Sasuke talks about you all the time! He'd never believe that I've been hanging out with you!"

Itachi got an idea, "What if I brought him with me tomorrow? Would that be alright?"

"Yeah! Then he'd _have _to believe me!"

"Then it's a plan. Now let's eat."

That night, Itachi spoke to Sasuke. He was not certain how he would feel about his older brother spending so much time with one of his classmates, even if he no longer detested Naruto quite so much.

"I have something to tell you, Otouto." Itachi began, "You know I've had an assignment in the village for a long time now."

Sasuke nodded.

"My mission is to protect someone very important to the village; someone you know."

"Who?"

"Naruto Uzumaki."

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked, puzzled, "Why's _he _important to the village?"

"That's a secret only the Hokage is allowed to tell. I'm going to be with Naruto most days during your break because it's my job to protect him. The thing is, I thought that you might want to come with me sometimes. That way we could spend more time together, and you could play with Naruto. Is that something you would want to do?"

"I'd get to go with you during your mission, Aniki?!"

"Yes, but you couldn't tell anyone else that."

"I won't! I wanna go!"

Over the course of the month, Sasuke accompanied Itachi nearly every day. He and Naruto butted heads often, but it was clear that they were quickly becoming best friends, regardless of how much they denied it. Itachi often helped them train, showing them a few basic ninjutsu and teaching them the fundamentals of shuriken marksmanship. He found that they worked much harder and learned faster when they were competing against each other. It seemed that a little healthy rivalry was good for them. Itachi looked forward to their instructor's reactions when the boys returned to school so far ahead of their classmates.

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I know it's been pretty slow up to this point, but it will pick up soon. I promise! Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

I own nothing

**Chapter Eight**

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It was near the end of the Academy's month-long break, and one of Itachi's rare days off. He was spending the day just wandering the village with Shisui and Hana. The marketplace was always interesting this time of year. Merchants from all over the Land of Fire, and some from foreign countries, set up shop in Konoha during the summer.

"Hey, check out that blown glass art from the Land of Wind." Hana pointed out, "That blue and red one is so cool looking."

"Yeah, it's pretty cool." Shisui replied, "But the merchant's a Sand spy."

"And not a very good one." Itachi agreed.

"What? No way. How can you tell?"

"That head-wrap he's wearing is to cover up the tan line from a headband. The calluses on his fingers are something you usually see on someone who handles shuriken often. He's staring at every uniformed shinobi who walks by, but barely paying any attention to his own customers, and he obviously knows almost nothing about what he's selling." Itachi explained, "He's definitely a spy, but he's pretty terrible at it."

"Shouldn't we report him or something?" asked Hana.

"No need." Shisui replied, "ANBU's already watching him. Can't you smell them?"

"There's like a million people on this street. You think ANBU all have the same scent or something?"

"Well, you seem to be able to sniff out Itachi from a mile away."

"That's because he's Itachi, not because he's ANBU, idiot." Hana said, playfully shoving him.

"Hey! Respect your elders, kid!" Shisui exclaimed jokingly.

"You're almost eighteen and your best friends are a couple of thirteen-year-olds. What does that say about you?" Hana teased.

"Whoa, that's how it's gonna be, huh? Itachi, are you going to let her talk to your favorite cousin like that?"

"I don't know… She _does _have a point, old man." Itachi replied.

"The things I put up with for you two!" Shisui sighed with a melodramatic flourish.

Before long, Hana had to leave. She had a mission early the next morning to prepare for.

"So, are you ever going to tell her about Mariko, or are you just going to keep stringing her along?" Shisui asked as he and Itachi continued to walk through the streets.

"I'm not 'stringing her along'."

"Then what do you call it? You know she likes you, and even if you like her too, you're marrying Mariko. By not telling her, you're letting her think you guys might have a chance when you know you're marrying someone else."

"I'm _not _marrying that girl. I thought I made that clear."

"Mariko isn't that bad you know."

"Then why don't _you _marry her?" Itachi asked shortly, disliking the direction of this conversation.

"Because nobody expects _me _to be head of the clan someday. I get why you don't want to go through with it, but what choice do you have?"

"I have five years to figure that out."

Shisui sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Good luck with that. I hope you find a way out of it, but I still think you need to tell Hana the truth before she gets hurt."

"I'll tell her when it's relevant." Itachi replied.

Once the sun began to go down, Itachi and Shisui headed home. They were not far from the Compound when Itachi caught a glimpse of something that struck him as strange. A man dressed completely in black stood in the shadows nearby. His face was hidden by an orange mask. Masks were not uncommon in Konoha, but this one was unusual, it had only one eye hole. Itachi did not know exactly why, but something about the man gave him a very, very bad feeling. He stopped in his tracks.

"What are you doing?" Shisui asked.

Itachi glanced over at his cousin for just an instant. When he looked back, the stranger was gone.

"Itachi?"

"Did you see that guy?" Itachi asked.

"What guy?"

"He was standing right over there. It was a guy in an orange mask."

"I didn't see anything. You think he was up to something?"

"I'm not sure… I just get the feeling I need to report it."

"I usually go with my gut on stuff like that. Want me to go with you?" Shisui offered.

"No, it's alright. I'll do it myself."

Shisui nodded and started toward the Compound, "See you later, Itachi. And be careful."

Itachi turned back toward the village by himself. He was anxious as he walked, hyper vigilant, and could not explain why. He was not sure what it was about the man, but even at a distance he had left a powerful impression of darkness that put Itachi on edge. Even more disturbing was that there had been something strangely familiar about him. Itachi could not place it, nor could he shake the feeling.

Itachi knew it was too late for the Hokage to be in his office. He was hesitant to bother him at home, but since he had no other commanding officer, there was no one else to whom he could report the incident, and his gnawing instinct urged him on. He knocked on the front door of the Hokage's residence.

"Itachi?" Sarutobi asked, surprised.

"Forgive me for intruding, Hokage-sama." Itachi said with a bow.

"Come in. Is something wrong?"

Itachi was not quite sure how to relay what he had seen, or more accurately, what he had sensed.

"I saw something tonight, and I'm not entirely sure why, but I felt like I needed to report it immediately."

"What was it?"

"A man I didn't recognize dressed in black; average height, average build, with black hair. He was wearing a strange mask. It only had one eye hole."

Sarutobi visibly paled, "…You're sure about that? Only one?" he asked, sounding as if he had seen a ghost.

"Yes, sir. That was the one detail that stood out. Does that mean something to you?"

Sarutobi seemed to skirt the question, "What was he doing? What made it seem so urgent to you?"

"To be honest, I only saw him standing there, and he was gone when I looked again. I can't really explain it, he just felt… dark. I don't know how else to phrase it. No one has ever given me that feeling so strongly before. What is so significant about the one-eyed mask, sir?"

Sarutobi sat down, steepling his fingers before him, "That is the one detail we know about the man who orchestrated the Kyūbi's attack on the village."

Itachi tensed, only one thought on his mind, "I need to get to Naruto."

"No." Sarutobi said quickly, "Go home and rest."

"But, sir, if this is really the same man and he is back in the village, then his target-"

The Hokage cut him off, "I will ensure that Naruto's security is increased tonight, but I need his bodyguard to be at his best tomorrow."

"…Yes, sir." Itachi answered reluctantly.

"You don't have to worry. I am going to assign Kakashi Hatake to command tonight's security detail. He will be safe."

That did help to ease Itachi's mind, "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"You obviously understand that this development means you must be on high alert from now on."

"Yes, sir. I won't let this man anywhere near Naruto."

"Of that I am sure."

Though Itachi knew he needed his rest as the Hokage had ordered, he had difficulty sleeping that night. There was a very good chance that the man he had seen that evening was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Leaf shinobi and civilians, and had attempted to kill Naruto just moments after his birth. Now he was loose in the village. Would he bring another tragedy with him?

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	9. Chapter 9

I own nothing

**Chapter Nine**

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Regardless of how little sleep he had gotten the night before, Itachi was awake before dawn.

It was still dark as he prepared to leave. He normally did not carry his ninjato in the village, but today he ensured it was securely sheathed across his back.

As Itachi was leaving, Sasuke's bedroom door opened.

"Aniki? Are you already leaving?" the boy asked, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. You can't go with me today."

"Why not? I want to play with Naruto."

"It's too dangerous today. I'm sorry."

"Dangerous?"

"Go back to bed, Otouto. You don't have many days left to sleep in." Itachi said, poking his forehead gently.

Sasuke nodded groggily and shuffled back to his room.

When Itachi arrived outside Naruto's apartment, he found Kakashi and three other ANBU operatives waiting.

"It's been quiet all night. No sign of your masked man." Kakashi reported, "The four of us will be back here tonight, and another team will be here to back you up today."

"Thank you for doing this, Kakashi-sempai."

"You and the Third aren't the only ones who want to keep him safe." Kakashi replied.

It was only then that Itachi realized that Kakashi had to have known who Naruto's parents were. He was, after all, the Fourth's student.

Kakashi and his team left, replaced by a new team of ANBU operatives. Itachi was alert, suspicious of any movement near the apartment.

"Captain, he's awake." one of his men reported after a few hours.

"Thank you."

Itachi jumped down from his usual post in the tree. He slipped into the apartment through the open window.

"Whoa!" Naruto exclaimed, understandably startled, "What's going on?"

"You need to stay inside today, Naruto. And come to think of it, you should probably keep that window closed from now on."

"Huh? Why?"

"There might be someone in the village who wants to hurt you."

Naruto looked unimpressed, "There's _lots _of people in the village who want to hurt me."

Unfortunately, Itachi could not argue with that assessment, "Will you just take my word for it?"

"Yeah, I guess. Who is it?"

"We don't really know. We only know that he's dangerous."

"If you don't know who he is, how do you know he wants to hurt me?"

"Because he has tried before; a long time ago, before you can remember." Itachi replied.

Naruto pouted, "I still don't wanna stay inside all day. It's boring."

"We could always work on your academics. School is going to start again soon, and you could still use some help with math."

"I hate math…" Naruto grumbled.

Despite Naruto's reluctance, Itachi eventually managed to coerce him into school work. Naruto sat at the kitchen table, bent over a sheet of paper, tapping a pencil on the table. Itachi could tell he was distracted.

"What's wrong, Naruto?"

"…Why does everyone hate me?" Naruto asked, "The grownups all look at me like I did something wrong, even when I didn't do anything yet. Is it because my birthday is the same day that stupid fox attacked the village? Is it because I remind everybody of that?"

"…In a way." Itachi replied, unable to look the boy in the eye.

"I didn't do anything! It's not fair!"

"You're right. It's not."

There was a long silence as Naruto struggled with an equation, and Itachi wrestled with a problem of his own. He could not help but dwell on the unjustness of Naruto's life. Finally he came to a difficult decision. He knew he would be blatantly disobeying a direct order from the Hokage, but he could not justify hiding from Naruto the very nature of his own existence. He deserved to know the truth. He would find out eventually regardless, and the longer it took, the more the truth would hurt him. Itachi realized, with some shame, that it was exactly what Shisui had been trying to tell him about Hana the day before. Itachi knew that he would likely be demoted at the very least for what he was about to do, but he would accept whatever punishment the Hokage deemed fit.

"Naruto… There's something you need to know." Itachi began, hesitantly.

"I know, I know. I have to carry the one."

"It's not about the math."

"Oh. What then?"

"…I know why people treat you the way they do."

Naruto dropped his pencil, the addition problem forgotten, "Why?"

"I'm sure you've heard the story about how the Fourth Hokage gave his life to fight the Nine Tails. The part they don't tell in the story is that the Fourth couldn't actually destroy it. His only choice was to seal it into a newborn baby. That baby was you."

Naruto looked blank for a long time, "You mean… the Nine Tails… is _inside_ me?"

Itachi nodded, "The Fourth entrusted you with the Kyūbi's power to protect the village. _You_ saved Konoha, Naruto."

Naruto did not answer. He stared, glassy eyed, straight ahead.

"Are you okay?"

"N-Nii-san… A-Am _I_ the Nine Tails?"

"What? No, of course not." Itachi replied, squeezing his shoulder, "You are Naruto Uzumaki, with or without your prisoner."

"But… people in the village think I am, don't they?"

"Some of them do. But I know you'll prove them wrong."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Itachi sighed, "The Third thought it would be best that way. He was trying to protect you. He made it illegal to talk about it. I'm technically breaking the law by telling you."

"So… What do I do now?"

"Now you keep going like you always have. You still want to be Hokage, don't you?"

Naruto's face lit up, "Yeah!"

"Then don't let this stop you. Use it."

"I _will _be Hokage, Nii-san! Believe it!"

Kakashi arrived at sunset as promised. Itachi pulled his mask back on, and went outside to meet him.

"It was a quiet day, Sempai." he said.

"Nothing to report then?"

"Not exactly..." Itachi replied hesitantly, "…He knows."

"Knows what?"

"What's sealed inside of him. I told him."

Kakashi was silent for a moment, "You know I have to report this to the Hokage."

"Don't bother. That's where I'm going now."

"Why'd you do it?"

"He deserved the truth." Itachi replied simply.

"Fair enough. I hope this doesn't come down too hard on you, kid."

Itachi shrugged, "I guess we'll see."

Once again, Itachi found himself on the Hokage's doorstep.

"Come in." said Sarutobi, motioning for Itachi to sit down, "But please try to keep your voice down. My grandson is asleep in the next room."

"I have to report a failure to obey a direct order, Hokage-sama." said Itachi.

Sarutobi's brow drew together, "Who are you reporting?"

"Myself, sir. I told Naruto the truth about the Kyūbi."

"…I see." the Third sighed, "I can't say this is completely unexpected."

"I won't make excuses and I won't contest whatever punishment you decide is appropriate, sir."

"Very well. You are hereby reprimanded. I expect you back at your post first thing in the morning."

"I-I…Sir… Just an oral reprimand?" Itachi stammered.

"Were you hoping for more?" Sarutobi asked, sounding almost amused, "I ordered you to look out for Naruto's welfare. It seems to me that you have done that to the best of your ability. I would be a poor leader if I punished you for doing something I should have had the courage to do myself years ago. It remains to be seen if you made the right choice, but as far as I am concerned, this matter is closed. That being said, you had best not make a habit of this. There will be severe consequences if you continue to violate orders."

"I understand, sir. It won't happen again."

"Good. As I said, I expect you at your post in the morning."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

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	10. Chapter 10

I own nothing!

**Chapter Ten**

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Two more days passed with Naruto confined to his apartment under increased guard. There had been no sign of the masked man, but that had done little to quell Itachi's apprehension. Today was the first day of the new school year. Keeping Naruto locked down was no longer an option, nor could the security team post inside the Academy. Itachi came up with an alternative, however. He sat down with Sasuke before school that morning.

"How would you like to help with an ANBU mission?"

Sasuke's eyes widened, "Really? I can help?"

Itachi handed him a small whistle, "I need you to keep your eyes open while you're at school. If you see anything you think is suspicious, I want you to blow that whistle, then get somewhere safe as fast as you can."

"Is someone trying to hurt Naruto?" Sasuke guessed perceptively.

"It's possible."

Sasuke gripped the whistle tightly and gave a determined nod.

Itachi stayed close to Naruto until they reached the Academy. He directed his team to set up a loose perimeter around the building, then concealed himself on the roof of the school. The day was nerve-wracking. The Academy was a high-traffic area, difficult to secure covertly. Itachi had to investigate every time a member of his team signaled that someone was approaching. Despite dozens of false alarms, most of the day passed without incident.

School let out at the usual time. Itachi was scanning the crowd of students for a familiar shock of blond hair when a shrill whistle cut through the air coming from the back of the Academy. In an instant, Itachi was moving. He jumped nimbly from the roof, landing just a few feet from where Naruto and Sasuke stood backed against a wall, a black cloaked masked man before them.

"Boys, run." Itachi ordered, drawing his ninjato.

Naruto and Sasuke needed no prodding. They bolted.

"The ever-vigilant guardian appears." the masked man said mockingly, "It is a pleasure, Itachi."

The deep voice carried with it the same dark feeling that Itachi had sensed the night he first saw him. It gave him the chills, but not as much as the revelation that the man apparently knew his name.

"Identify yourself." Itachi demanded.

"Gladly. I am Madara Uchiha."

Itachi's grip on his ninjato tightened, "Madara Uchiha is dead."

"If you know my name, you know what I am capable of. Hashirama may have bested me once, but he never managed to finish the job. Now he is long dead, and I live on, so who is the victor in the end?"

Was it possible? Could this really be Madara Uchiha? The man who had founded the Leaf alongside the First Hokage, only to betray it? And if it was, what chance did Itachi have against him?

"Regardless of who you claim to be, you're a threat, and it's my duty to eliminate you." Itachi said, activating his Sharingan.

"Try if you'd like." the man said flippantly.

With his ninjato held defensively in Itachi's right hand, his left moved with blinding speed, flinging a half-dozen shuriken at his opponent. Instead of flesh, Itachi heard the dull thunk of the shuriken embedding themselves into the wooden shed a few yards behind his target. Impossible. The man had not moved, and Itachi _never _missed. Adrenaline flooded his veins and he ripped off his mask, rapidly forming a set of hand seals.

"Magen: Kasegui no Jutsu!"

The genjutsu, supplemented by his Sharingan, would completely immobilize a target, leaving him helpless. In the same moment, Itachi was already forming a second set of seals.

"Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!"

Itachi unleashed an unpredictable volley of small fireballs like a swarm of bees, almost impossible to evade even when not caught in a genjutsu. Escape should have been impossible. Itachi's Sharingan caught a flicker of movement, just for an instant, and suddenly the masked man was behind him. Blinding pain ripped through Itachi's entire body, paralyzing him.

"You're skilled for one so young. Of course, I'd expect nothing less; you always were the golden boy. But this interruption of yours has drawn more attention than I would have liked. You've cost me time, and now there are more pressing matters I must attend to. You've managed to buy yourself and the Jinchūriki a few years, but I look forward to the next time we meet."

Itachi's world went black.

Itachi floated in endless darkness for what seemed like an eternity. He heard nothing, saw nothing, and felt nothing. Then, from somewhere in the blackness, came a distant sound, then another, and another. It was a steady, rhythmic beep that seemed to be glowing slowly closer. Itachi gradually became aware of feeling returning to his limbs; unfortunately it was only pain. Finally, he opened his eyes. A plain white ceiling and the scent of antiseptic greeted him.

"Doctor, he's awake."

"Send a messenger to the Hokage."

Itachi's vision cleared just in time to be blinded by a penlight. Reflexively, he jerked away from the light.

"Looks like you're alright after all. You had us all worried." said an aged man in a tan medical uniform.

"Where am I?" Itachi asked, his voice hoarse.

"The hospital. We weren't sure you were ever going to wake up."

"How long was I out?"

"About three days."

Itachi sat bolt upright, his body protesting painfully, "Sasuke and Naruto! Are they alright?"

"They're just fine." said the Hokage's voice from the doorway, "In fact, they are waiting outside."

Itachi gave a sigh of relief, easing himself back onto the bed, "What happened?"

The doctor bowed to the Third and stepped out, closing the door behind him.

"I was hoping you could tell me." said Sarutobi, "Naruto and Sasuke told me that they were attacked by the masked man and that you intervened, but that is all I know."

Itachi rubbed his temples, "I tried to fight him, but he was like nothing I've ever seen. It was as if nothing could touch him. What happened to the men who were supposed to be backing me up?"

Sarutobi looked uneasy, "…I don't know. They've disappeared."

"Disappeared? How do three trained ANBU operatives just disappear in their own village?"

"I can't explain it." Sarutobi replied, "Were you able to gather any information on this man?"

"I found out who he… well, who he is _claiming _to be. He told me that he's…" Itachi hesitated, knowing how ridiculous it sounded, "...Madara Uchiha. I was close enough to see that he… he had a Sharingan."

Sarutobi rubbed his beard, "…Madara. This challenges a lot of preconceptions."

"He said he would be back, but it sounded as if we might have time, maybe even a few years to prepare. That's assuming he wasn't lying."

"I'm getting too old for this." Sarutobi sighed, "Get your rest, Itachi. You did well."

As soon as the Hokage left, four people all tried to squeeze through the door at once. Sasuke, Naruto, Hana, and Shisui were all at Itachi's bedside in the blink of an eye.

"Are you okay, Aniki?" Sasuke asked anxiously.

"I will be. Don't worry."

"You scared us, kid." Shisui told him.

"Never thought I'd ever have to visit _you_ in the hospital." Hana added.

"I guess I'm not invincible." Itachi replied with a half-hearted smile.

Naruto stepped forward, staring at the ground, "I'm sorry, Nii-san. This is my fault." he said quietly.

"No it's not. Naruto, look at me. It's not your fault, do you understand?" Itachi told him firmly.

"…I don't ever want anybody to get hurt protecting me ever again. I'm gonna get stronger so _I_ can protect my friends."

"I'll help. I want to protect my friends too." said Sasuke.

Shisui listened to the boys with a distant smile, "My brother died a long time ago, but it looks like his will is still going strong."

It was several days before Itachi was released from the hospital. As soon as he was discharged, he insisted on going right back to work. He threw himself into training. He had never been so outmatched by an enemy, and he was determined to even the field for his promised next encounter with the man who called himself Madara Uchiha.

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Thanks for reading! Please review!


	11. Chapter 11

I own nothing!

**Chapter Eleven**

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It was late at night and Itachi was in the ANBU records room. He had spent every free moment scouring every historical document he could find in the village records and the Uchiha clan's own archives, looking for something—anything—that could explain Madara Uchiha's apparent return. So far he had found little that he did not already know, and nothing helpful. Frustrated, Itachi closed the last of the scrolls he had set aside and rubbed his temples. He stood up to leave, only to break into a painful coughing fit. It was not the first time such an episode had occurred since he left the hospital. He did not think much of it; he had most likely contracted a minor virus due to the strain on his body.

"An odd time of night to be studying, isn't it?" a voice asked from the door.

Itachi turned to find an aged man standing in the doorway. He was slightly hunched and walked with a cane. His right arm was completely wrapped in bandages, and he had an x-shaped scar on his chin. Any member of ANBU would recognize Danzo Shimura. He was a village elder, one with a keen interest in ANBU.

"This is the only time I have, Danzo-sama."

"You know me, do you?"

"Of course."

"I presume you are searching for an explanation for what transpired five days ago."

"…Something like that, sir."

"You won't find it here, or in your clan's records for that matter. I am confident that no such simple answer exists, but it is not history you need in any case, it is power. You were soundly defeated by that man. Do you truly believe that you will ever be able to challenge him in your present state?"

"I won't be taken by surprise next time. I'll be stronger. I'll train until I can face him on equal terms."

"Admirable, but ultimately futile," Danzo said, "You could train for a lifetime and never reach that level. However, you _do _have the unique potential to match his power if you are willing to make the sacrifices and do what is necessary."

"I took that oath a long time ago. I _am _willing to do whatever is necessary to protect the village." Itachi replied firmly.

"You say that now, but I wonder if you will be so adamant when you learn what that really means. Your cousin Shisui had already paid the price and reached the next level. I am interested to see if you will follow suit. If that time comes, come see me." Danzo turned to leave, but paused and looked back over his shoulder, "Keep in mind, Itachi; I can be a powerful ally, but a dangerous enemy."

Itachi was left alone in the records room with the sinking feeling that he had just been drawn into yet another situation he knew nothing about. What did Shisui have to do with any of this, and how was he connected to Danzo? He was away on a mission at the moment, so Itachi would not be able to ask him about it until he returned. Just one more frustration to add to the growing list.

Before returning home, Itachi stopped by Naruto's apartment to check on the night detail. There had been no progress in locating the three men who had gone missing the day of Madara's attack. Itachi hated to admit it, even to himself, but he knew they were dead. Technically, the mission had been a success—Naruto was alive, after all—but as a captain, Itachi was responsible, not only for the mission objectives, but the safety of his subordinates as well. Despite the Third's assurances, he could not help but feel that the deaths of those three shinobi were on his hands. Leadership was a heavier responsibility than he had initially realized.

Itachi found one of his operatives on the roof of Naruto's building.

"Report."

"All clear, sir. No incidents." replied the young man whose mask resembled a raccoon.

"Are you doing alright?"

"Sir?"

"Are you doing alright?" Itachi repeated, "You have three comrades who are missing, presumed dead. That has to have an effect on you."

"This is what we're trained for, sir. It isn't the first time I've lost friends. I'll be fine."

Itachi nodded, "If you need anything, let me know."

"…Thank you, Captain."

Itachi made his way home where he tried to get some sleep in the few hours before he had to be up again. His mind was still spinning, trying to make sense of his encounter with Danzo Shimura. What had he meant by 'reaching the next level'? How did Shisui fit in? And what interest did Danzo have in the situation to begin with? He was well known for his extreme views on how the village should be run, and it was whispered that he and Sarutobi did not see eye to eye. Even so, why would he feel it necessary to meet with Itachi in such a clandestine manner? Then there were his parting words. Itachi knew a threat when he heard one, and Danzo had not even tried to veil it. Itachi hated politics, but it seemed he was doomed to be drawn into them.

The next morning, Itachi reported to his usual post. The detail had been reduced to only Itachi and one other operative, but he was fairly confident that the masked man would not be returning any time soon. Not confident enough, however, to consider letting down his guard. He instructed his subordinate to make a sweep of the route from the apartment to the Academy while Itachi stayed behind to wait on their charge.

When Naruto left for school, Itachi kept a close eye on him from the trees and rooftops. In the past, he had often walked part of the way with him when it was unlikely he would be seen; now however, he was reluctant to give up his overwatch position, even knowing that backup was close at hand.

Naruto reached the Academy without incident. Itachi saw him wave to Sasuke who quickly ran over to meet him. Sasuke still carried the whistle Itachi had given him, and it was a bit reassuring to know that he could signal Itachi if anything were to happen to either of them. Both Naruto and Sasuke had taken their encounter with the masked man seriously. They had been training nearly as tirelessly as Itachi himself, each of them pushing the other hard. It was easy to see that they were both on their way to becoming powerful shinobi in their own right. Sasuke had the natural skill for which the Uchiha clan was famous, and Naruto had the enormous chakra capacity of the Kyūbi and the determination to match. Itachi could only hope that it was enough to keep them safe when the time came that he no longer could.

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This chapter is dedicated to a great man who mentored me during an important part of my life. He taught me what right looks like, what it means to be a leader, and how to be an NCO. Thanks for everything, Sergeant Major B., this one's for you.

Thanks for reading! Please review!


	12. Chapter 12

I own nothing!

**Chapter Twelve**

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It had been nearly a week since Itachi's strange conversation with Danzo Shimura. Shisui had still not returned from his mission, and Itachi was growing impatient to speak with him about what Danzo had said. He had yet to find anything worthwhile in the historical records regarding Madara Uchiha. All in all, he was feeling rather useless, and the fruitless hours in dimly lit archive rooms were not helping matters. He now looked forward to afternoons with Sasuke and Naruto. There at least, he felt as if he was doing some good while helping them train, even if he did end up spending a lot of time breaking up sparring matches that devolved into outright brawls.

"Hey, Nii-san! Watch this!" Sasuke called.

The seven-year-old made a quick set of hand seals, puffed out his chest, and expelled a large fireball. He had come dangerously close to igniting a nearby tree, but Itachi decided to ignore that in light of the huge step his brother had just taken. That particular jutsu was a sort of rite of passage in the Uchiha clan, and Sasuke had executed it almost perfectly.

Itachi smiled widely, "That was great, Otouto! I told you you could do it."

"I think I could have done it last night with Dad, but I wanted to show you first." Sasuke replied, grinning.

"I'm proud of you. You're-" Itachi stopped. His subordinate on overwatch was signaling an alert; someone was coming, "Sasuke, Naruto, hide." he instructed, pulling on his mask.

This kind of thing was a common enough occurrence that the boys knew the drill. They quickly concealed themselves while Itachi ran up to the trees to get a look at who had crossed the perimeter. The second operative indicated the eastern sector. There, Itachi saw a familiar face. He gave the signal for all clear and dropped down to meet the intruder.

"What are you doing here, Hana?"

Hana grinned, "Looking for you."

"This isn't really a good time. I'm on duty."

Right about then, Sasuke and Naruto wandered over.

"Oh, so this is your babysitting job, huh?" Hana asked.

"I told you, it's not babysitting."

"Hey, Itachi-niisan, is she your girlfriend?" Naruto asked.

Itachi and Hana both immediately and fervently denied it.

"I think she's his girlfriend." Naruto whispered much too loudly to Sasuke, who nodded in agreement.

"This is my _friend _Hana." Itachi emphasized, "Hana, this is Naruto Uzumaki, and you know Sasuke."

"Yeah, I met Naruto while you were in the hospital. Hey, guys." Hana greeted.

"Can we play with your dogs?" Naruto asked.

"Sure, if you want." Hana replied, then turned to the Haimaru Brothers, "Be nice." she ordered.

Soon the boys were happily chasing the dogs around, giving Itachi and Hana a chance to talk.

"You said you were looking for me?" Itachi asked.

"Yeah, I wanted to tell you something."

"Actually… There's something I need to talk to you about too. I hadn't really planned on doing it now, but… I should probably stop putting it off."

"You go first." Hana said.

Itachi sighed. He had told Naruto the truth, now he knew he needed to come clean with Hana, but he still had no idea how to approach it. He had hoped that time would make it easier, but it seemed to have done just the opposite. Now, any way he went about it, it seemed to be coming out of the blue. He decided to just get it over with.

"I'm engaged." he said bluntly.

Hana's expression was blank, "…Engaged? As in to be married?"

"…Yeah."

"To who? And when the hell did that happen?"

"It was arranged by my parents. I'm supposed to marry Mariko Uchiha when I turn eighteen. They told me on my birthday."

"That was almost a year ago! Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I knew you'd be upset."

"Damn right I'm upset! I'm upset that you didn't tell me! I'm your friend. You can tell me anything. I thought you knew that."

"I'm sorry."

Hana sighed, "Mariko, huh? Isn't that the girl who replaced my lunch with dog food that one time?"

"…Yeah, I think so."

Hana gave a half-hearted smirk, "Sucks to be you."

"I'm going to find a way out of it. I have time." Itachi replied, "So… what did you need to tell me?"

"Well, it feels kind of dumb following that, but I wanted to tell you that my team got nominated for the Chunin Exams. It's in Kumo this year. We're leaving tomorrow morning."

"That's great. How do you feel about it?"

"I'm kind of nervous, to be honest." Hana admitted.

"You have nothing to worry about. Most Genin aren't nearly as prepared as you are."

Hana rubbed the back of her neck, "Yeah, I know. It's just… people die at these things, you know?"

"Just stay focused and you'll be fine. You have good instincts; trust them."

"I'll try… I should probably go. I think your ANBU buddy up there is giving me dirty looks under his mask. I just wanted to let you know before I left."

"I'm glad you did. Sorry for messing it up."

"You didn't mess it up. I just wish you'd told me sooner, that's all. No more secrets next time. Deal?"

"Deal." Itachi agreed with a smile.

"Alright. I'll see you when I get back. Wish me luck."

Itachi shook his head, "You don't need it. Go show Kumo what a real ninja looks like."

Hana grinned, "I'll try not to scare 'em too bad."

"Be safe."

Hana hugged him, called the Haimaru Brothers, and departed with a wave to Sasuke and Naruto.

"I like your girlfriend." Naruto said as soon as Hana had left.

"I told you, she's not my girlfriend."

"That's not what Shisui said." argued Sasuke.

"You need to stop talking to Shisui." Itachi grumbled, "He's a bad influence."

"He also said you have a stick up your ass. What's an ass?"

"Ooh! I know that one!" Naruto volunteered excitedly.

"I'm going to kill him." Itachi muttered.

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	13. Chapter 13

I own nothing!

**Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

It had been a few days since Hana and her team had left for Kumo. The Third Hokage had also gone to the Land of Lightning to observe the exams. It was late in the evening when Itachi was returning home. He gave a nod to the guard at the Uchiha Compound gate.

"Hey, Itachi." the guard called, "Shisui got back a couple hours ago. Thought you might want to know."

"Thank you."

Finally, Itachi would be able to get some answers to the questions that had been eating away at him for nearly two weeks. He did not bother to go home first, instead heading directly to Shisui's house. It was Shisui's mother who answered, a sour woman embittered by the deaths of her husband and oldest son.

"Shisui only just got home. I don't think he-"

"It's fine, Mom." Shisui's voice called from inside. He came to the door, looking tired, "What's up?"

"Could we talk? Preferably somewhere private?"

"Sure. Give me a second to get my shoes on."

Itachi and Shisui made their way toward their clearing. Along the way, Itachi tried to make small talk, a skill he had not quite mastered.

"So… Hana's on her way to the Chunin Exams as we speak."

"Really? Good for her. She'll make it." said Shisui.

"Yeah… I finally told her, by the way."

"About Mariko? How'd she take it?"

Itachi shrugged, "She was angry, but you were right; it was because I didn't tell her sooner."

"Of course I was right. I'm always right. You should know that by now."

The cousins reached the clearing. Itachi sat down against a tree and picked up a rusty kunai that had been forgotten on the ground. He began spinning it absently on his finger.

Shisui leaned back against his own tree, "So, what did you need to talk to me about that couldn't wait until morning?"

"Do you know Danzo Shimura?"

"I know _of _him, but I've never met the guy. Why?"

"…He came to talk to me a while back. It was about the masked man. He said I would never be able to fight him in my present state, but that I had 'unique potential'. The whole conversation was really strange. Then he started talking about you."

"Me?" Shisui asked, clearly surprised.

"He said something about you reaching another level, that you had paid some kind of price. Do you have any idea what he was talking about?"

Shisui was suddenly a million miles away, "I… I know what he meant, but… How could he know that? _No one_ knows that… How…?" he said, mostly to himself.

"What?"

Shisui slid down the tree to sit on the ground, "…You've been doing a lot of research, right? In the clan archives?"

Itachi nodded.

"Did you ever come across anything about the Mangekyo Sharingan?"

The term was alien to Itachi, "No, I've never heard of it. What is it?"

"It's like… well it's what Danzo said; it's the next level of the Sharingan—more advanced, more powerful. The jutsus it makes possible are… pretty much unreal."

"If it's so powerful, why haven't I heard of it? That seems like something the whole clan would know about."

"Well… for one, it's not all good. As soon as it's activated, it starts to deteriorate little by little, faster the more you use it. Eventually you go blind. But… that's not really the worst part. It's kind of a dark part of the clan's history. See, the only way to activate it is to lose the person closest to you, and not just lose them, you have to _really_ experience it, you know? Way back when, people started just killing their best friends trying to get the Mangekyo. Even then, it didn't always work. I guess we were kind of killing ourselves off. Not really surprising that the clan decided to just cover the whole thing up."

"What does all this have to do with _you_?" Itachi asked.

Shisui ran a hand through his hair, "Well… I have the Mangekyo. As far as I know, I'm the first one in a very long time."

Itachi took a moment to sort through the information he had just been given.

"Okay… If you have to lose the person closest to you to get this Mangekyo Sharingan, then how did you…"

"I know it was a long time ago, but do you remember Masato?"

"Sort of…"

"He was my best friend in the Academy. We were pretty much inseparable, even managed to get assigned to the same Genin team when we graduated. Made Chunin at the same time too."

Itachi vaguely remembered a boy about Shisui's age, tall and skinny with curly blond hair. Shisui had once talked about him often, then one day he had just stopped.

"We were out on a mission in the Land of Water with this other Chunin neither of us had worked with before. It was supposed to be a basic recon; you know, in and out, no enemy contact. But a few days in I started to get the feeling we were being followed. I was right. There was this team of Mist shinobi that had been tailing us since the border. Thing is, the only way that was possible was if they knew we were coming, and that meant that someone must have sold us out. Masato was my best friend; I trusted him, so obviously I figured it must have been the new guy."

Itachi had a pretty good idea where this was going.

"I told Masato my suspicions. The next morning, I woke up and the new kid was dead, throat slit… and there was Masato with a kunai. He told me that Kiri had offered him a fortune to report back to the village with false information. He wanted to cut me in on the deal. I told him he was crazy and refused. He asked if I was going to turn him in, and I told him I didn't have a choice. He attacked me. I did the only thing I could, and fought back. I didn't mean to kill him, but…" Shisui trailed off.

"It's alright. Keep going." Itachi urged.

Shisui took a deep breath, "Anyway… Just as Masato dropped, the Mist team showed up. I managed to take a few of them out, but the guy in charge was different. He had this patch over his right eye that had to have been hiding some kind of dojutsu. I was losing bad. The team leader and two others pretty much had me dead to rites when… I don't know, I guess instinct took over. I didn't even realize what I was doing until it was over. All I knew was that the team leader suddenly ordered the other two to retreat, and they took off. I found out later that I'd used something called Kotoamatsukami. It's a genjutsu that basically… well, it controls the target's mind without them even knowing it's happening."

"A genjutsu that powerful… shouldn't even be possible." Itachi mused.

"Trust me, I know. To be honest, it scares the hell out of me. That was the first and only time I have ever used it. But that's not the only thing I got from the Mangekyo. It enhances your natural abilities too. People think I'm fast, but that's me _holding back_. There's probably more I could do, but… I'd rather just forget I even have the thing."

"And you've never told anyone about it?"

"Not a soul until today. That's why I can't figure out how Danzo could possibly know. This thing… it's dangerous, and I don't like that he's taking an interest."

"Shisui… does this mean that you're going blind?"

"That _would _be the part you'd be worried about." Shisui said with a forced-sounding chuckle, "But, yeah, I guess it does. I haven't noticed anything yet. I almost never use it, so I guess that slows it down. Sooner or later though, I'll be blind. At least I'll get to retire early, right?"

"There's nothing you can do to stop it?"

"Not anymore… Not that I would have done it anyway… Look, don't worry about it, okay? I'll be fine. And… stay away from Danzo. I've got a really bad feeling about that guy."

"…Fine. But you'll tell me if your vision starts to go, right?"

"Either that or you'll figure it out when I start walking into walls." Shisui replied.

Itachi shook his head and sighed, "That's not funny… And speaking of which, we need to talk about what you've been telling Sasuke."

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	14. Chapter 14

I own nothing!

**Chapter Fourteen**

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The results of the Chunin Exams reached Konoha before the returning candidates did. The list of promotions was posted in the village. It was a fairly short list this year, but right near the top was the name 'Hana Inuzuka'. Itachi smiled; he had known she would make it.

Itachi arranged to be off duty when the exam candidates were expected to return to the village. He and Shisui went to the main gate to wait along with Hana's family. Itachi greeted Hana's mother with a polite nod.

Tsume gave a toothy smile, "You keep getting taller, Itachi, but you're all skin and bones. They feeding you right over there?"

"Well enough, but it looks like Kiba is going to catch up to me soon." Itachi replied.

Kiba grinned and the puppy sitting on his head yapped in apparent agreement.

"And I see you got your ninken. Congratulations." Itachi said to the boy.

"His name's Akamaru. He's real smart."

"Hey." Shisui spoke up, "I think that's them."

As Shisui had said, a large group was approaching the gate. The Hokage and his complement of ANBU guards led the way, followed by the herd of exam candidates who were clearly eager to get home. Friends and family members rushed to greet them, congratulating those promoted and reassuring the rest.

Hana made her way over, grinning widely and was caught in a bear hug by her mother.

"That's my girl! So proud of you, pup!"

"I'm proud of you too, Nee-chan!" Kiba added.

"Thanks, Mom. You too, shrimp." Hana replied, ruffling her brother's hair.

Itachi smirked when she turned to him, "What did I tell you? Nothing to worry about."

"Ah, shut up, Weasel-boy." Hana replied, punching his shoulder.

"Yeah, you'd better be careful, Itachi." Shisui added, "That's not a Genin you're picking on anymore. Just look at that badass Chunin vest."

"Damn straight." Hana agreed.

"How about you two come eat dinner at our place?" Tsume suggested.

"I wish I could, but my patrol shift starts in twenty minutes. Thank you though." Shisui replied.

"How about you, Itachi?"

Itachi smiled, "I'd love to."

After saying goodbye to Shisui, Itachi walked with Hana and her family back to the Inuzuka house. He and Hana stayed outside to keep an eye on Kiba and Akamaru. They sat down together on the front steps watching the seven-year-old try unsuccessfully to teach the puppy to roll over.

"You're either very brave or very stupid." Hana said with a smirk, "You _do _know that my mom can't cook to save her life, right?"

"That may be true, but it's still more pleasant than dinner at home."

"Still butting heads with your dad?"

"That's not likely to change any time soon. We have very different priorities, and he has made it perfectly clear that he doesn't approve of mine."

"Could be worse. He could have walked out on your family the day you started the Academy." Hana said with obvious disdain for her own father, then shook her head, "Anyway, how are the boys?"

"They are the same as always. They've been asking about you. They want to play with the Brothers again."

Hana smiled, "If it's alright I could try to stop by while you're with them one of these days. Might be kind of hard now that I got promoted though."

"That's true. Your mission load is going to get a lot heavier now." Itachi agreed.

"No kidding. I'm getting reassigned already. I guess there's a recon team that needs a tracker and a medic, and I'm the only one available who's qualified for both."

"You'd be perfect on a recon team."

"Yeah, and I'm looking forward to the assignment, but it still kind of sucks to have to leave my Genin team."

Itachi had to cover a cough before answering, "It happens to us all eventually."

It was not long before Tsume called everyone to the table. Hana's warning about her mother's cooking had been well founded, but the meal was still enjoyable. Tsume, Hana, and Kiba had a kind of warmth that was not easily found in the Uchiha Compound. Itachi sometimes caught himself wishing that he and Sasuke had been born into a different clan.

After dinner, Itachi thanked Tsume for the meal, and Hana walked him to the door.

"Congratulations again, Hana. You deserve it." he told her.

"Thanks. We're not going to get to see each other much now though."

"We'll figure something out. We always do."

Hana thought for a moment, "When do you normally report for work?"

"About 0630. Why?"

"I go for a run at about 0500 starting at the main gate every morning. You should go with me."

Itachi smirked, "You think you can keep up?"

"I take that as a challenge. I will totally smoke you if you dare to show up tomorrow."

"0500 it is then." Itachi said, walking away.

"You'd better be there!" Hana called after him.

Itachi had barely made it a block from the Inuzuka house when a uniform Chunin ran up to meet him. Itachi recognized his as an adjutant of the Third.

"The Hokage wants to speak to you, Captain. He said it's urgent."

"In his office?"

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, but I don't know what it's about."

"That's alright. Thank you."

Itachi made his way quickly to the Hokage's office. He found Sarutobi practically buried in paperwork and looking grim.

"Captain Uchiha reporting as ordered, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi put down the scroll he was reading, "I'm sorry to call you in without notice, but I've just received some information I thought you should be aware of. We may have a lead on the masked man."

Itachi's attention was secured, "What kind of lead?"

"We've been getting scattered reports about a group of rogue ninjas who seem to have organized. At this point we know very little about them except that Madara seems to be involved, along with another dangerous man with whom I am very familiar."

"Who?"

"My former student; Orochimaru."

"The Sannin?" Itachi asked, surprised, "He's involved in this?"

Itachi had had a few encounters with the former Leaf shinobi before his defection, and none of them had been particularly pleasant experiences. Itachi had always thought that there was something profoundly disturbing about the man, even before the truth about his experiments came to light. Still, he would not have guessed that he had any connection with the masked man.

"It's hard to say how the two are connected." Sarutobi said, "Our information is very incomplete. But at the very least, we know this isn't good news. It means that Madara has allies, and powerful ones at that. We still don't know what his plans are, or what he wants with the Kyūbi, but if he is involved in the organizing of rogues of the caliber that is being reported, it's probably on a much greater scale than we originally thought.

"Do we have a plan?" Itachi asked.

"We are fighting blind as it stands. For the moment, I have decided to dedicate our resources to gathering as much information as we can. Until we've learned more, there is little else we can do."

"I would appreciate it if you would keep me informed, sir."

"You will be among the first to know if anything significant is uncovered."

Itachi bowed, "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please review!


	15. Chapter 15

I own nothing!

**Chapter Fifteen**

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The next morning, Itachi cut his morning training routine short to meet Hana just as the sun was coming up. He found her just outside the gate.

She grinned, "You actually made it!"

"I said I would. So, what's the route?"

"All the way around the wall and back here. If I beat you, I promise you will never hear the end of it."

"Fine then. You give the signal."

Hana crouched down into a starting position, and Itachi followed suit.

"Ready." Hana began, "Set.."

A devious thought entered Itachi's mind. He smirked and, without waiting, took off running.

"Hey! Cheater!" Hana shouted.

"No one ever said I fight fair!" Itachi called back over his shoulder.

After only a moment, Itachi heard Hana's footsteps approaching rapidly from behind him. She was fast, but Itachi had always been faster. At the mile mark he had a decent lead, but was getting surprisingly winded trying to maintain it. He wondered if Hana had been training. At three miles Hana was gaining, and at five they were neck and neck. The final stretch was not as densely wooded as the rest of the route, but a large pond lay right across the runners' path. Going around it would cost too much time. Itachi channeled his chakra to his feet, easily crossing the water as if it were solid ground. Hana did the same, but her chakra control was not quite what Itachi's was. It slowed her down, just barely, but enough to give Itachi back the lead. He reached the gate just a few seconds before Hana.

Both Itachi and Hana were bent over, panting, trying to catch their breath.

"If you hadn't cheated, I _so _would have had you." Hana said.

Itachi could not deny that she was right, "You've gotten a lot faster."

"Maybe a little, but not _that_ much. You're getting slow."

A painful cough ripped through Itachi's chest, "I've been a little sick lately."

"Oh yeah, the classic excuse." Hana said, rolling her eyes, "Still, it's been a while since I've run that hard. Think you'll be able to do this more often?"

"As long as nothing comes up, I'll be here whenever I can."

Hana smiled, "Cool. I've gotta get going. I'm meeting my new team this morning."

"And I have to get to work. I'll see you later."

Itachi relieved the night detail as usual and watched over Naruto on his way to school. When classes let out for the day, he met up with Naruto and Sasuke out of sight of the Academy. They were both particularly wound up today. The mid-semester class rankings had come out. Sasuke was at the top of the class with Naruto trailing by a few points. Predictably, that led to both excitement and animosity.

"Just watch, Sasuke; I'm gonna be number one by the end of the year!" Naruto declared.

Sasuke scoffed, "Yeah, right. You still can't even make a clone."

"So what? Those clones are stupid anyway! They don't do anything! I don't need any stupid clones to beat you!"

"You can't control your chakra. Mizuki-sensei even said so."

"Shut up!"

"You shut up!"

The two were about to come to blows when Itachi grabbed them both by the backs of their shirts and separated them.

"If you two are going to keep fighting like this, you're not going to be able to come with me anymore, Sasuke."

"But-"

"No buts. Both of you had better apologize to each other."

Sasuke and Naruto both crossed their arms and pouted.

"Now."

"…Sorry." they muttered in unison.

"Close enough." Itachi sighed, "Listen, guys, you're both doing great in school, and I'm proud of you, but remember that class rankings only matter until you graduate. Once you're a Genin, all that will matter is how you perform on missions, and how well you work with your team. If you're only tring to prove that you're better than everyone else, that's _bad_ for the team. Get it?"

"…Yeah." Naruto mumbled.

Sasuke nodded.

The boys continued to mope for a while, but soon it was as if nothing had ever happened.

That evening, Itachi ensured that Naruto and Sasuke both made it home safely before heading to ANBU Headquarters to file his routine paperwork. On his way out, he noticed Kakashi with his own stack of paper. Strangely, he was dressed in a standard Jonin uniform rather than his ANBU uniform.

"Sempai? Is something going on?" Itachi asked, puzzled.

Kakashi shrugged, "Just on my way out. Finishing up my out-processing paperwork."

"You're leaving ANBU?"

"Decided it was time. You've only been in a couple of years now, but you'll see. It wears on you."

"What are you going to do?"

"Don't really know yet. The Hokage wants me to take a Genin team, but… I don't know; we'll see how it works out."

"Well, good luck." Itachi said, extending his hand.

Kakashi returned the handshake, "Same to you. Listen, if something happens and you need an extra hand on your detail, ask for a guy named Tenzo. He's a good man, and I trust him. He'll help you out."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Sempai."

Itachi was nearly home when he had the misfortune to cross paths with someone he had been avoiding all year: Mariko Uchiha, his fiancée. She was about Itachi's height with shoulder length black hair and the typical coal black Uchiha eyes. She zeroed in on him like a predator.

"You." she growled.

Itachi's combat instincts immediately had him evaluating terrain and identifying escape routes.

"You have been dodging me for months." Mariko accused, "Well, now I've finally got you cornered, and you're going to stand there and listen to me whether you like it or not. I know you don't want to marry me. Well, don't flatter yourself, because I'm not exactly thrilled with the idea either."

"Nice to see you too, Mariko." Itachi muttered sarcastically.

"I know you're supposed to be head of the clan someday, but only because your daddy is. Well, the clan could do a hell of a lot better than the Hokage's goddamn lapdog, and so can I. If you think that I am going to lower myself to going through with the council's idiotic decision, you're sorely mistaken."

"You can relax. I have no intention of going through with it either. You can save the argument for someone whose opinion matters."

"Good, we agree. You can go back to ignoring me then." Mariko said, turned on her heel to walk away, but then glanced back, "Oh, and one other thing. _Everyone_ knows about your little 'thing' for Dog Breath. I couldn't care less, but you might want to make it a little less obvious if you want your parents to think you're okay with the engagement."

Itachi continued toward home, shaking his head. He gave a polite greeting to his parents before going to his room and closing the door. He was exhausted. He wondered if perhaps he was pushing himself too hard in his training.

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	16. Chapter 16

I own nothing!

_This chapter begins after a bit of a time skip. I hope it isn't too jarring._

**Chapter Sixteen**

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Seventeen-year-old Itachi took a deep breath of the cool morning air as he walked toward the main gate to meet Hana for their morning run. It had become their routine over the last three years. They ran the same route every single morning unless one of them was on mission.

Hana greeted him with a wave, "You're late!"

"I'm not late, you're early." Itachi countered.

"Either way, I'm tired of waiting. Let's go."

Without further pleasantries, Hana took off running with the Haimaru Brothers at her heels. Itachi sighed and ran after her, catching up in a few strides. They rarely raced anymore, preferring to just keep pace with each other instead.

"How's Shisui doing lately?" Hana asked as they rounded a turn, "I haven't seen him for a while."

"He's fine." Itachi replied, not mentioning that Shisui had recently confided that his vision had started to get fuzzy, "Now that he's second in command of the Police Force, he's usually buried in paperwork."

Hana grimaced, "I couldn't handle a desk job. I'd go crazy. You should drag him out here to run with us one of these days."

"I'll ask him."

Itachi and Hana fell silent as fatigue set in. They finished the route back where they started. Despite his efforts to hold it back, Itachi broke into a violent coughing fit just as they slowed to a stop. He tasted the familiar coppery tang of blood, and rubbed his sore chest.

"You really need to get that checked out." Hana advised.

Itachi shook his head, "It's fine. Just a cough."

"'Just a cough' doesn't last three years. Who's the medic here? You or Me?"

"Will it get you off my back if I do?"

"No guarantees, but it couldn't hurt."

"Fine. I'll get it looked at. Happy?"

"Happi_er_."

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Actually, my team's heading up to the Land of Sound later today. It was kind of a last minute mission, but we'll probably be gone for about a week."

"What are you doing in the Land of Sound?" Itachi asked.

"I'm sure you've heard about the hidden village that popped up all of sudden over there not too long ago."

Itachi gave a nod. It had been a major topic in the ANBU ranks. It was not every day that a new village was established apparently from nothing, particularly so close to the Land of Fire's border.

"We're supposed to recon the area. See, what's weird is that nobody can figure out where this place actually _is_. As far as anybody can tell, this village—Oto is what they're calling it, I guess—isn't even an actual place."

"Apparently someone took the term 'hidden village' literally." Itachi said with a smile.

Hana laughed, "Guess so. Anyway, I'll see you when I get back."

"Be careful out there."

"Always am. And, by the way, I know everybody at the hospital, so if you don't get checked out, I _will_ know about it."

Itachi chucked and shook his head as he walked away.

Itachi knew that Hana was probably right about his need to see a doctor. He had been suffering from a chronic cough for years now, and it only seemed to be getting worse. He had only recently begun to cough up blood. He had been growing more and more easily fatigued and it was beginning to adversely affect his chakra capability and stamina. He knew he probably should have seen someone about it a long time ago, but he was stubborn in that regard. He had spent a lot of time ill when he was a child, and it had left him with a particular distaste for hospitals. Regardless, he would not be able to do anything about it until his day off.

Naruto was already awake and doing pushups outside his apartment when Itachi arrived. The twelve-year-old had been training intensely for the last few months. It was his last year in the Academy and he had yet to overcome Sasuke in the class rankings. He was determined to finally beat him at graduation. Despite their ever-present rivalry, the two had remained best friends through the years.

Itachi was well aware that Naruto would soon be graduating. Once he did, Itachi's mission would be complete, and the boy's safety would be his own responsibility. The threat from within the village had been virtually non-existent even without Itachi's protection, but he was still concerned about the masked man. There had been no contact from Madara since his attack on Naruto. There had been scattered sightings and some new information regarding the criminal organization that called themselves the Akatsuki, but neither had made a move against Konoha. Years had passed, and Itachi feared that their reprieve was coming to an end, and Madara would soon make good on his word.

Itachi received the usual report from the night shift—which had been reduced to a single operative years ago—and sent him home. Naruto stood up and pulled his shirt back on when he saw Itachi. The boy had hit a growth spurt recently, but was still just a bit shorter than Sasuke, much to his irritation.

"Hey, Itachi-niisan." he greeted with a grin.

Itachi returned the smile, "Good morning."

"So, um… Do you think Hana's going to come by today?" Naruto asked.

Itachi shook his head, "She's leaving for a mission today. Why?"

"Well… I kinda need help with something, and I had some questions."

"And you need to ask Hana? I'm sure I could help you. What's the problem?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "…It's about a girl."

Itachi paused, "…Hana will be back next week."

"That's what I thought." Naruto said with a smirk.

The day was routine. Itachi kept watch over the Academy from the shadows, noting a few of Naruto and Sasuke's classmates. They did not look like much at first, but Itachi was impressed by the soon-to-be-graduating class. Many of the students would probably end up as the all too common career-Genin; however, Sasuke and Naruto included, there were maybe eight or nine that had serious potential and had caught Itachi's attention over the past few years. That was an uncommon concentration for a single class. It seemed that the next generation would have some very interesting careers. Perhaps, Itachi feared, a bit _too _interesting if the masked man made another appearance.

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	17. Chapter 17

I own nothing!

**Chapter Seventeen**

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Itachi had managed to avoid his medical exam for several days, but now it was his day off and he had no excuse. He reluctantly made his way to the hospital, in no hurry to get there. Along the way, he passed Kakashi on the street. They acknowledged each other with a nod, but did not speak. Itachi had heard that Kakashi had been assigned a Genin team from each of the graduating classes since he left ANBU, and had sent every single one of them back to the Academy.

Despite dragging his feet, Itachi did eventually make it to the hospital and was shown to an exam room. There he was poked, prodded, and generally subjected to everything that made him hate hospitals in the first place.

"We'll run some tests, but at your age, I doubt it's anything too serious." the doctor assured him after the exam, "Just make sure you are getting enough rest."

"I'll try." Itachi lied as he rushed out the door.

Itachi was all too happy to get back to work the next day, but that was not to be. It was late afternoon, and Itachi was helping Sasuke and Naruto with their taijutsu when another member of his team appeared.

"Captain."

"You're off duty. What are you doing here?" Itachi asked.

"I was sent to relieve you, sir. You're needed at the hospital immediately."

That certainly did not bode well. What could possibly have come up that required his immediate response at the expense of his mission?

Itachi was understandably anxious as he sat in the waiting room, but managed not to show it. The harsh smell of antiseptic seemed even stronger today, and it was no help for raw nerves. Finally, he was called into yet another exam room. The same doctor who had spoke to him the day before greeted him, but today he looked grim.

"You should sit down." he advised.

Itachi's jaw tightened, "I'll stand."

The doctor sighed, "I really hate to say this... especially to someone so young…"

"Just tell me."

"I've run every test I can think of, just to be sure. You have a rare form of anemia. You're the only case I've seen of this type. You've already reported some of the symptoms; fatigue, weakness, chest pain. You might start to experience headaches and dizziness soon. The fact that you're coughing up blood means that it is an extremely advanced case, and… I'm sorry, but it's terminal."

Itachi felt like he had been clubbed over the head, "…When you say terminal…"

"Most forms of anemia can be treated, but this form is tied to another deficiency in your bone marrow. There is no treatment yet. It isn't a fast moving condition, but it is completely established in your body. I'd estimate that you have another four years before it reaches lethality, five if you don't strain yourself and you're very, very lucky."

"Would it have made a difference if it had been caught earlier?" Itachi asked, now regretting his stubborn refusal to see a doctor.

"I very much doubt it. The condition is irreversible, and rare enough that I'm not certain we could have identified it much earlier."

"How did this happen? Is it contagious, genetic, or…"

"From what little we know, it seems that susceptibility to the disease is genetic, but it takes a very specific set of circumstances for it to take hold. In your case, it was probably a combination of physical trauma, exhaustion, and a weakened immune system. I can prescribe medication for the pain and to help keep your lungs clear, but it will only make you more comfortable, nothing more. We _might_ be able to extend your prognosis by a month or two with regular blood transfusions, but I really can't say how effective it will be. Again, I'm very sorry."

Itachi walked home in a fog. It all felt completely surreal. He was only seventeen, one of Konoha's strongest shinobi, and now he was going to die like _this_?

"Oh, you're home early." Mikoto greeted cheerfully as Itachi walked in the door.

"…Yeah." he replied distantly.

Mikoto's smile faded, "What's wrong?"

"Is Dad here?"

"He just got home too. Why?"

"I need to talk to you both."

With his parents seated in front of him, Itachi struggled to find the words he needed.

"…I don't know if you've noticed this, but I've had a pretty bad cough for a while now. I finally saw someone about it, and… the news wasn't good. I'm dying."

Complete silence followed. Neither Fugaku nor Mikoto seemed able to react.

Itachi continued, "It's some form of anemia, and there is no cure. They say I have, at most, five years to live. I guess five years isn't that bad… I never really expected to live all that long anyway… I don't know how bad I'm going to get before… before it's time, but…"

Mikoto suddenly cut off his rambling by throwing her arms around her eldest son, sobbing. To Itachi's surprise, he felt tears beginning to sting his own eyes as well. He could not remember the last time he had cried.

"It's going to be alright, Mom." he said, trying to sound as confident as he could.

When Mikoto had recovered from the initial shock, Itachi had a request for his parents.

"Please don't Sasuke about this, at least not yet. He has enough to worry about with graduation coming up. He doesn't need to be distracted. I'll tell him afterward."

"Are you sure?" Fugaku asked somberly.

"I'm sure. Please."

"We won't tell him." Mikoto promised.

"Thank you." Itachi sighed, "I'm going to my room. I just… need to think for a while."

"Wait." Fugaku said, catching him by the arm, "I know I never really said it, but I _do _love you, Itachi. I hope you never doubted that."

Itachi's throat tightened, "…I love you too." he barely managed to croak.

Itachi closed his bedroom door, sat down on his bed, and buried his face in his hands. It had been a perfectly normal day when he woke up that morning; now, all of a sudden, he was facing his own mortality. Being prepared to die was an unspoken requirement among shinobi, particularly in ANBU, but this was not the kind of death Itachi had expected. There was no enemy to fight, no lives to save, no greater purpose his death would serve. He was going to die pointlessly, doing no good to anyone.

Despite Itachi's earlier desire to be alone, the silence suddenly felt smothering. He had to get out and do something. He climbed out a window, unwilling to face his parents again. He wandered for a bit, eventually finding himself outside the Military Police Headquarters. He headed inside, giving a nod to the desk sergeant as he passed by.

Shisui was in his office. His desk was littered with unfinished paperwork, but he seemed more interested in flinging pencils at the ceiling.

"Busy?" Itachi asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Shisui jumped, startled, but then grinned, "Hey. Yeah, I'm very busy trying _not _to be busy."

"So I see. Do you think you have time for a quick sparring match, or are you booked solid with all your procrastinating?"

"Now that you mention it, I could use a break."

Itachi and Shisui walked to the Police Force's private training field behind the headquarters building. They took a few minutes to stretch out, then took up positions facing each other.

"Taijutsu only, right?" asked Shisui.

"Right."

Itachi made the first move, charging in recklessly. Shisui, not expecting such an aggressive move from his usually cautious cousin, was a split second too slow in reacting. He escaped a direct blow, but Itachi got a hold on his flak vest, pulling him down into a knee strike. The impact of the blow sent Shisui reeling back a few paces, but he recovered quickly and moved to counter-attack. He closed the distance and swung a series of lighting fast punches. Itachi could not block one of the jabs, and it caught him on the chin. Despite being dazed, he saw an opening, ducked the last punch and tackled Shisui to the ground. Neither of the cousins were grapplers and Shisui was the larger of the two, but Itachi had the initiative and quickly maneuvered him into a shoulder lock.

"Okay! I give! I give!" Shisui exclaimed.

Itachi stood up and helped Shisui to his feet.

Shisui groaned and rubbed his shoulder, "What's with you today, man? I've never seen you fight that aggressively. Did I do something to piss you off?"

"No, it's nothing like that." Itachi sighed, "Shisui… do you ever wonder about how you're going to die? I mean… do you think you'll live to old age, or…"

"Well… I don't really think about that stuff. I guess the odds are definitely in favor of going out in combat. There aren't a whole lot of old shinobi, you know?" Shisui replied, "Are you alright? You're acting kind of weird. Weirder that usual anyway."

Itachi did not answer for a long time. He was still emotionally drained from giving the news to his parents, and did not think he wanted to do it again. Shisui was his best friend. He did not want him to look at him differently or feel like he had to walk on eggshells around him. Finally, he gave up.

"It's nothing. Just had a bad day."

"You sure? Must have been one hell of a bad day."

"Don't worry about it. I should let you get back to avoiding your job."

Shisui did not look convinced, "…Alright, if you say so. You know you can always talk to me if something's up, right?"

"Yeah, I know."

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	18. Chapter 18

I own nothing!

**Chapter Eighteen**

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It had been several days since Itachi's diagnosis. He had not slept well since. His parents had been unusually invested in him since he had told them, always wanting to sit down and talk, constantly asking him how he was feeling. He knew he should have appreciated it, but in truth, he could not stand it. He just wanted things to be normal. It further reinforced his decision not to tell Shisui and Hana. He could not tolerate any more sympathetic looks, especially from them.

Itachi was determined to maintain his normal routine. He got up at the same time, did the same morning training regimen, then ran with Hana before reporting for duty, just as he always had. The medication helped suppress his cough, making it easier to convince Hana that all was well.

It was late morning and Itachi was posted outside the Academy when one of his subordinates arrived to tell him that the Hokage had called for him. Itachi was used to these meetings by now. Usually they were updates on Madara or briefings about other potential threats. Occasionally he was briefly reassigned to other missions that required his skill set, but it was all fairly routine. This time, however, Itachi was surprised to find Kakashi in the Hokage's office when he arrived.

"Ah, you're here. Good." Sarutobi began, "We have new information on Madara, including a location."

"You found him?" Itachi asked.

It was Kakashi who answered, "Not pinpointed, but we do have it narrowed down to a pretty small area."

"Since Kakashi couldn't keep a Genin team for more than a day, I had to find other work for him." the Third explained, "I put him in charge of a task force with the purpose of gathering information on Madara Uchiha."

A map was laid out on the Hokage's desk, and Kakashi pointed out a mountainous region in the Land of Sound that had been circled in red.

"We had some good leads that all pointed here." Kakashi said, "I sent a few teams to check out the area. They weren't able to get too close, but they were able to confirm that there is definitely some kind of facility there. On top of that, they had a positive ID on Orochimaru in the same area."

"Orochimaru, but not Madara." Itachi guessed.

Kakashi shrugged, "They _did_ have a sighting of a masked man, but they couldn't give a detailed description. There's no way to know for sure if it was him."

"What are you going to do with this information, sir?"

Sarutobi leaned forward, folding his hands in front of him, "This may be our only opportunity for a preemptive strike. Itachi, if you think you're ready, I want you to lead the team."

Itachi hesitated. After three years of intense training, he was stronger now than when he had first faced the masked man. There were few who could hope to match him in genjutsu or ninjutsu, but the illness had not been without effect. His endurance had suffered, as had his chakra reserves. He was sure that he would be able to offer Madara more of a challenge this time, but if he could not end it quickly, he knew he would not last long. Then again, maybe this was the opportunity he needed. He had been disgusted by the prospect of dying pointlessly; maybe this was his chance for a meaningful death. Maybe he could take the enemy down with him.

"Well, Itachi?" Sarutobi asked.

"Naruto will be taken care of in my absence?"

"Of course."

"Then I accept the mission, Hokage-sama. Who is on the team?"

"I've selected one already. Anko Mitarashi is a former student of Orochimaru, and I believe she will be a valuable asset in locating, and if need be, fighting him. As for the rest of the team, that will be up to you. Choose anyone you trust, but I would advise a medic."

It was hardly a choice. There were only two people that Itachi would want watching his back. He knew that if he _were_ to die during the mission, Shisui with his Mangekyo Sharingan had the best chance of anyone to finish Madara for him, and Hana had the best chance at keeping Shisui alive.

"Shisui Uchiha and Hana Inuzuka." he said immediately.

Sarutobi gave a nod, "Very well. I will contact their superiors. Our window of opportunity is very small. You need to leave as soon as possible."

"As long as the rest of the team is prepared, I'll be ready to go before sunrise tomorrow, sir."

"That is acceptable." the Hokage handed Itachi a scroll, "This is the complete intelligence report. I suggest you read it over."

"Yes, sir."

"Itachi, you will brief your team in one hour. Kakashi, good work. You are both dismissed."

Itachi and Kakashi bowed and left the office.

"So, you're sure you're ready to take him on again?" Kakashi asked as he and Itachi walked down the hallway.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be, Sempai." Itachi replied.

"Try not to get yourself killed. There won't be a hospital nearby this time."

"I'll do what I have to."

Kakashi seemed to consider that for a moment, then gave a nod, "Good luck. I almost wish I was going with you."

Itachi spent the next hour before the briefing studying the intelligence report, then met with his team behind Hokage Tower. Anko Mitarashi was the first to arrive. Itachi had seen her around the village once or twice, but had never really spoken to her. She immediately struck him as strange.

"So, you're the famous Itachi Uchiha, huh? You don't look like much."

"I'm ANBU. That's kind of the point."

Anko shrugged, "Fair enough."

"There's a good chance we're going to end up facing your former sensei on this mission. Is that going to be a problem?"

Anko scowled, "I finally get my shot at taking that son of a bitch down. Trust me; there's no problem."

Hana and Shisui arrived a moment later.

"Thank you for getting me out of there!" Shisui exclaimed, "If I had to proof-read one more police report, I was going to lose it!"

"You may not be thanking me once you find out what we're going to be doing."

"What _are_ we doing?" Hana asked.

"We might have a location on the masked man."

Hana looked confused, "The who?"

"You didn't have the security clearance to know the whole story at the time, but you remember three years ago when I was in a coma, right?"

"No, I forgot about that."

Itachi ignored her sarcasm, "That was after an encounter with a man who claims to be Madara Uchiha. Whether that's who he really is or not, he is unquestionably a major threat. Now we finally have a possible location in the Land of Sound. Our mission is to find him and eliminate him,"

"…This is the guy who handed you your ass three years ago? And now you want to take him on again?" Hana asked warily.

"Hey, it'll be three on one this time. No problem." Shisui said.

Anko cleared her throat loudly.

"Four on one, actually." Itachi corrected. "This is Anko Mitarashi. She was hand-picked for this mission by the Hokage."

"Well, what are we waiting for, boys and girls? Let's get out there and kick some ass, shall we?" Anko enthused, draping her arms around Itachi and Shisui's shoulders.

Itachi slid away from her, "We leave tomorrow at 0400. We'll be traveling light, but make sure you have your full med-kit, Hana. You should all try to get as much sleep as you can tonight; you won't get much of a chance once we leave. I'll give you a full briefing enroute to the target, but if you have any questions, now is the time."

All three shook their heads.

"Alright, then you're dismissed. I'll see you in the morning."

Hana caught up with Itachi as he was walking away.

"Hey, Itachi… I'm not complaining, but… why would you pick me for this mission?" she asked, "There are plenty of medics a lot better and a lot higher ranking than me."

"The Hokage told me to choose someone I trust. I did."

Hana smiled, "Well… I'll try not to let you down." she said, and ran off.

"…Same here." Itachi said once she was out of earshot.

Itachi had one more piece of business to take care of. Over the last few years, he had become acquainted with the ANBU operative Kakashi had suggested as his replacement. Tenzo was very straight-laced and by the book, and Itachi had come to trust him. He had taken over Naruto's detail on occasions when Itachi had been called away on other missions. Today, Itachi found him off duty, reading on a park bench. He sat down beside him.

"Let me guess," Tenzo said without looking up from his book, "You got a mission, and you need me to cover for you."

"If you're available." Itachi replied.

"I think I can help you out."

"I appreciate it."

"Don't mention it. It's usually a nice break."

"…There's a potential for this mission to end badly. If that happens…"

Tenzo finally looked up, "You don't have to worry about Naruto. I'll keep an eye on him."

Itachi stood up and gave a grateful bow, "Thank you."

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	19. Chapter 19

I own nothing!

**Chapter Nineteen**

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Itachi prepared his gear the evening before the mission. He packed a small supply of field rations, inventoried his weapons, and ensured that everything was in working order. When he had finished, he went looking for Sasuke. He found him in the same clearing where Itachi and Shisui had been training for years. The area was littered with shuriken as Sasuke tried to hit the advanced targets that his brother and cousin trained with. He was doing fairly well.

"Not bad, Otouto." Itachi said, impressed.

Sasuke stopped and turned around smiling, "Hey, Itachi! Do you want a turn?"

"That's alright; I was actually just looking for you."

"I saw someone else took over your shift this afternoon. You got a mission, didn't you?"

Itachi nodded, "I leave first thing in the morning, so I probably won't see you before then. I wanted to say goodbye."

"How long will you be gone?"

"It's hard to say. It depends on how things go."

"But you'll be back in time for our graduation, right?"

Itachi looked away, "…I promise I'll try, but I can't guarantee anything. I'm sorry."

It was apparent that Sasuke was disappointed, but he had matured quite a bit, "It's alright, as long as you try. I'll have missions of my own soon."

"You're going to be a great shinobi someday, Sasuke. I'm proud of you. Remember that."

"You're acting kind of weird, Aniki."

Itachi smiled, "I need to go. If I'm not back by then, good luck on your graduation exam. I know you'll do great." he said, reaching out to poke his little brother between the eyes.

Sasuke rubbed his forehead, "Come on, Itachi; I'm not a little kid anymore."

"I know you're not. Goodbye, Otouto."

There was one last thing Itachi had to do. He headed back into the village and to Naruto's apartment. It struck him as humorous that in the five years he had spent in and around the apartment, this was the first time he had actually knocked on the door. Naruto seemed just as surprised when he answered, but was happy to let him in.

"I see you never did take my advice about cleaning up in here." Itachi observed.

Naruto shrugged, "I'll get around to it."

"I take it from my conversation with Sasuke that you two already figured out that I have a mission."

"Yeah, thought so."

"I'll be leaving in the morning, and I wanted to say goodbye first."

Naruto looked puzzled, "You go on missions all the time. It's never been a big deal before."

"Yes… but this might be a little different. My target is the man who attacked you three years ago."

Naruto's eyes widened, "The guy in the mask? The guy who almost killed you?"

"Hopefully things will be different this time, but if they aren't…"

"Don't even talk about that! There's no way you'd lose!" Naruto exclaimed.

Itachi smiled sadly, "I wish that was true, but…" he trailed off, "Naruto, you don't need me anymore. You're about to graduate, you're about to take on the world on your own. Experience will teach you a lot more than I ever could. Just promise me that if something goes wrong, you and Sasuke will look out for each other."

"…I promise, Itachi-niisan. But nothing's gonna go wrong. You're gonna be fine."

"I hope you're right."

It was still completely dark when Itachi woke the next morning. Since he would not be working in an ANBU capacity on this mission, he set aside his mask and gray flak vest, but decided to keep his arm guards. He sheathed his ninjato and pulled his light backpack onto one shoulder. He paused on his way out the door to check on Sasuke as he slept.

Shisui was passing through the Uchiha gate just as Itachi was.

"It is _way _too early to be awake." the older Uchiha muttered.

Itachi smiled, "That desk job is making you soft."

"No one in their right mind would choose to be awake at this hour, desk job or not. I am seriously beginning to question your sanity."

Hana and Anko were already waiting at the village's main gate when Itachi and Shisui arrived. Hana looked just as drowsy as Shisui, but the Haimaru Brothers were wagging their tails and pacing around at her feet. Anko looked far too alert and enthusiastic for the setting.

"About time!" she exclaimed, "Are we ready to get a move on, or what?"

Itachi knelt down and spread a map out on the ground. It was the same one that Kakashi had shown him the day before. The rest of the team gathered around.

"This is our destination." Itachi said, pointing to the circled area, "It's a good ways off, but we won't be stopping for the night. All of you know how quickly intelligence becomes outdated, and these reports are already three days old. We need to move fast. Speed will be our main concern, but once we get within two miles of the target location, that will change. I want to get as close as we can before being detected. Once we're within that two mile radius, we'll spread out to search as much ground as possible. The task force believes that there may be members of the Akatsuki in the area. If you make enemy contact, do not engage until you have backup. Do you all have the sign and countersign for the week?"

Shisui, Hana, and Anko all answered that they did.

"Don't forget to use them when we regroup." Itachi said, rolling up the map again, "One more thing. If and when we encounter Madara, I want the three of you to leave him to me. If I fail, _then_ take him out, but do not get involved before then.

All three immediately balked, all talking at once.

"You expect us to just sit on our hands and watch you fight him alone?! Not a chance in hell!" Hana exclaimed.

"I'm the commander of this mission, and this is a direct order."

"It's a retarded order." Anko replied bluntly.

"There is no way that's going to happen, Itachi." said Shisui.

"If you can't follow orders, then I will replace you with someone who can."

The team fell silent, but with gritted teeth and defiant expressions.

Itachi continued, "Shisui and Hana, you're my friends, but on this mission, I am your commanding officer. You're both professionals, and I expect you to act like it. Now, are we going to keep wasting time arguing, or can we get to work?"

Hana set her jaw, but nodded.

"…Fine." Shisui relented.

Anko shrugged, "If you want to get yourself killed playing hero, who am I to stop you?"

Itachi hated having to pull rank, but he was not about to let his friends face Madara without, at the very least, trying to handle it himself first. He would never forgive himself if he outlived one of them. He knew that, despite their grudging acceptance now, it was very unlikely they would follow orders if and when the time came. He still had to make his intentions clear.

The tense start to the mission carried over to the journey. The team was serious, and there was very little in the way of conversation. As they passed into the Land of Sound late in the day, Hana took point since she had recent information on the area. Two of the Haimaru Brothers ran wide of the group's flanks, and the third ran well ahead of them to ensure they were not ambushed, but as the sun began to set, they had encountered nothing more threatening than squirrels. It seemed that this was going to be a long, tedious trip.

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	20. Chapter 20

I own nothing!

**Chapter Twenty**

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Itachi knew his team was tired when they finally reached the target location. Their only stops along the way had been for brief cold meals or to recon danger areas. They had all been popping soldier pills throughout the journey, so they had not quite begun to feel it yet, but Itachi knew they would be dead on their feet once the stimulants wore off. He needed to complete the mission before that happened.

When Itachi estimated that they were within the two mile mark, he gestured for the team to stop, then crouched down, the others gathering around.

"You know what to do. Stay within three hundred meters of each other. If you make contact, withdraw and wait for backup."

Hana, Shisui, and Anko nodded quickly, and Itachi signaled for them to disperse.

Itachi moved quickly but deliberately, alert for any sign of the enemy. The forest was a dense mass of twisted trees that, combined with the mountainous terrain and thick underbrush, make it difficult to maneuver. For a split second, Itachi could have sworn he saw a face watching him from the bark of a nearby tree, but the moment he blinked, it vanished. He shook his head. Clearly the soldier pills and lack of sleep were starting to take a toll, and the light filtering through the dense canopy was playing tricks on his eyes. He pushed the incident to the back of his mind and pressed on.

The further Itachi went without encountering resistance, the more anxious he became. There had been no sentries, no traps, nothing to indicate the enemy's presence. That meant there were three possibilities. Either the task force's information was wrong, it was outdated, or the enemy was confident enough not to feel the need for perimeter security. None of those possibilities were particularly comforting.

After a while, Itachi slowed his pace, knowing that he must be coming up on the center of the circled area. Sure enough, he soon came upon what at first appeared to be a pile of boulders in a clearing. Itachi crouched down, moving forward carefully. Upon closer inspection, he spotted an opening in the rocks; a cave entrance. He silently moved along the edge of the tree line to get a better look and activated his Sharingan. With his visual acuity enhanced, he could easily see that the ground at the mouth of the cave was packed down, and it was clear that there had been recent activity in the area. He could also make out what appeared to be manmade support beams shoring up one of the cave walls. This had to be it.

Itachi moved back into the cover of the trees, bit his thumb, and summoned three crows. He sent one to each member of the team, calling them back to his location. It was not long before they began to arrive. Itachi challenged them each with the sign in case of an imposter, but each responded with the correct countersign.

"What've you got?" Hana asked quietly.

"A small cave outside the tree line." Itachi replied, "Definite signs of recent foot-traffic."

The team followed Itachi and took up positions along the tree line. Itachi allowed them all to get their own look at the site before signaling them to advance. Once close enough, he scanned the mouth of the cave for booby traps, but found nothing.

"It's clear. I'll take point." he said.

"Oh, no you won't" Shisui replied, pushing past him and activating his Sharingan, "Team leader never takes point. That's my job."

Shisui was technically correct about standard procedure, so Itachi decided not to argue this time, and fell in behind his cousin. They had to duck through the entrance, but the tunnel opened up a bit once inside, allowing them to stand upright easily; still, the quarters were uncomfortably tight. The cave floor sloped sharply downward from the entrance. It was almost unnaturally dark, and there was a strange scent in the air, something chemical-like that burned the lungs. The Haimaru Brothers whined softly. Itachi could not blame them. The unease was palpable.

As the team slowly made their way further into the darkness, Itachi thought he saw a shape, almost like a human outline, jutting out from the wall; but just like the face in the woods, it was gone before he could be sure it was there at all. It was far too dark to have seen anything clearly, even with his Sharingan active. This time however, one of the Brothers let out a low growl, confirming what Itachi's own senses could not.

"There's something in here."

"Yeah…" Hana agreed, "But I don't smell anything human."

"Could you have made that sound any creepier?" Shisui asked.

Despite the complete darkness, Itachi could perfectly picture the indignation on Hana's face, "I'm just stating facts. It's not my fault you're a wuss."

"Just keep moving." Itachi instructed, "But keep a close eye on our rear. I don't want our only exit cut off."

The first section of the narrow tunnel seemed to be natural cave, but as the team moved deeper, they began to see unmistakable signs of excavation. The walls became flat and uniform, and the path began to widen. Before long, Shisui brought them to a halt, and Itachi immediately saw why. There was light ahead, and the tunnel appeared to open up into a larger chamber. It was a dangerous position not knowing what they might be walking into.

"I got this." Anko volunteered.

She bit her thumb and performed the quick hand seals necessary for a summoning, calling up a dark green snake about three feet long and as thick around as her arm. It slithered ahead of the team and around the corner toward the light. It was a few minutes before it returned. It wound itself up Anko's body with its head coming to perch over her shoulder, its tongue flickering. Itachi almost shivered at the sight, but Anko seemed perfectly comfortable. She did not speak, but it was obvious that she was able to communicate with the serpent. Her eyes hardened at whatever it relayed to her.

"I don't know about your masked man." she reported, "But Orochimaru is here."

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	21. Chapter 21

I own nothing!

**Chapter Twenty-one**

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"I don't know about your masked man," Anko reported, "But Orochimaru is here."

"You're sure?" Itachi asked.

"Yeah, and apparently he's set up shop. The room ahead of us is part of a lab. Practically got his name written all over it."

"But you didn't actually see _him_." Shisui guessed.

"Didn't have to. He's here."

"Whether she saw him or not, it's best to assume she's right." Itachi said, "We have to keep moving. Keep your eyes open."

The team moved quickly to clear the laboratory. It was exactly what Itachi had expected based on what he knew of the experiments that had led to Orochimaru's expulsion from the Leaf. Whatever the Sannin was trying to accomplish, it was clear that he had been hard at work on it here. The room was crowded with scientific equipment, phials of mysterious liquids, and large tanks filled with what Itachi could only hope were _not_ human test subjects; but there was no sign of the man himself. Located in the far wall were two passages leading into more tunnels like the one through which they had entered. Once they had secured the lab, the team gathered between the two doorways.

"So… split up? Check out both paths?" Hana asked.

Itachi shook his head, "I don't want us to be sep-"

Anko suddenly cut him off, "All this sneaking around bullshit is taking too long." she took a deep breath, "Hey!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, "Quit hiding, and come face us like a man!"

Itachi rubbed his temples, "That woman is insane." he muttered.

"Yeah," Shisui whispered, "It's kinda hot."

Itachi stared at his cousin as if he had grown an extra head.

"What?" Shisui asked, defensively.

Before Itachi could reply, he felt the entire atmosphere of the room shift.

"Always so brash, Anko." said a chilling voice, "It's going to be the death of you someday." Orochimaru, looking untouched by time, emerged from the left passage way, "I apologize for not being here to greet you properly when you arrived. I expected you a great deal sooner, and I grew tired of waiting."

Itachi already had a kunai at the ready, "Expected?" he asked.

"I led your spies here days ago. I anticipated a much more timely response."

"...You gave away your location on purpose?" Shisui asked.

Orochimaru chuckled smugly, a sound that sent chills down Itachi's spine, "Of course. This was is so much more convenient than going all the way to Konoha myself."

Itachi's mind was racing, "You did this to draw me away from Naruto."

"Not quite, though it isn't a bad guess. I don't much care what happens to the Kyūbi host, however. My interest is in _you_, Itachi."

Itachi's brown creased, "Me?"

Anko spoke up, "Are you saying… You perfected it, didn't you? Your… body-stealing… immortality… thing."

"Transference-jutsu, Anko; I taught you better than that." Orochimaru replied, "I would not say 'perfected' just yet, but given the proper vessel…"

"Wait… You want to steal Itachi's body?" Hana realized, horrified.

"I have watched your progression quite closely, Itachi. You are an ideal candidate. That is why I brought you here. And fortune has smiled upon me today; you brought along yet another Sharingan bearer. It is always prudent to have a spare, after all."

Itachi felt a tinge of nausea imagining just what Orochimaru intended to do with him.

"So Madara was never here at all?" asked Shisui, frustration evident in his voice.

"Oh, I never said that," Orochimaru replied dismissively, "He has his own reasons to want you removed from the equation. It just so happens that our goals intersect at the moment."

Anko stepped forward, deftly spinning a senbon needle between her fingers, "You guys keep moving; find your masked man. I'll deal with this guy."

"You're not fighting him alone." Itachi replied.

"Don't be a hypocrite. If you can claim a fight for yourself, so can I. This is why I'm here. You can write me up for insubordination when we get home."

It was obvious that there was no winning this argument. It went against every instinct Itachi had, but he had to leave her behind.

"…Don't get yourself killed. If it gets bad, run."

"I know how to do my job. Get moving." Anko replied firmly.

To Itachi's surprise, Orochimaru made no attempt to stop the rest of the team from proceeding. The Sannin only smirked.

"Do try to stay in one piece, Itachi. It would be such a pity if you were to be damaged."

With Orochimaru blocking the left passage, there was only one way for the team to go. Itachi, Shisui, and Hana ran into the tunnel on the right. It was apparent that, like Itachi, the other two were not happy with leaving Anko to fight alone, but understood it to be their only option.

They had only made it a short way down the tunnel when Itachi was suddenly struck with a particularly violent coughing attack. The medication had been controlling them well until now, so it took him by surprise. He had to stop, coving his mouth with one hand, and bracing himself against the wall with the other. The taste of blood filled his mouth.

Hana touched his shoulder, worry evident on her face, "Are you alright?"

It took Itachi a moment to answer, but he did so as confidently as he could manage, "I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

"Are you sure? That sounded bad." Shisui asked, unconvinced.

"We don't have time to discuss it. Let's go."

The remaining three pressed on quickly, abandoning stealth since Anko had already announced their presence to the entire world. They finally came upon yet another chamber. This one was larger than the laboratory, but almost completely empty. Torches burned at distant intervals, the flickering light casting dark shadows across the cavernous space. The Haimaru Brothers all began to growl the moment they entered the chamber. Itachi followed their eyes across the room. There, nearly hidden by shadow, was a figure leaning casually against the wall.

"I suppose I should have known better than to think Orochimaru would handle this incursion himself."

The familiar deep voice called up vivid, unpleasant memories of pain and defeat.

"Madara."

The masked man sighed and pushed off from the wall, "They _do _say that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

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	22. Chapter 22

I own nothing!

_Beware of manga spoilers!_

**Chapter Twenty-two**

* * *

The masked man strolled casually toward Itachi, Hana, and Shisui, apparently unthreatened. When he stepped into the light, Itachi could see that his mask was a slightly different design than the first time he had seen him, and his hair was shorter, but he had no doubt it was the same man.

"I see you brought backup this time, Itachi." Madara observed, his one eye seeming to linger on Shisui for a prolonged moment, "Not surprising after out last meeting. Tell me, have you improved at all since then, or will this be as disappointing as last time?"

Itachi did not have time to answer. Hana was already walking forward. Itachi silently cursed the Inuzuka clan's impulsiveness.

"So, you're supposed to be Madara Uchiha, huh? Big, scary, legendary shinobi? Fought the First Hokage and all that?" Hana asked, crossing her arms, "Well, I think you're full of shit."

"Hana…" Itachi warned.

"No, seriously. How do we know this guy is Madara? 'Cause he says so? I don't buy it. If he's really Madara, why doesn't he show his face? And what is he waiting for? Supposedly, the First was the only person who could ever stand on equal footing with him, right? Well, the First is long gone, so what's stopping him from attacking Konoha now, and just taking what he wants? And why does he need these Akatsuki people? I'd bet my next paycheck it's because he's _not _Madara." Hana concluded, "So who are you _really_?"

The masked man laughed, "The puppy has quite the bark, doesn't she? When it comes down to it, does it matter who I am? Maybe I am Madara, maybe I am not. In the end, I am no one. You may call my Tobi if you like, everyone else seems to."

Whatever answer Itachi had expected, that was not it. It was a strange development to be sure, but though it presented a multitude of questions, it did not truly change anything. Whoever this man was, he was an incredibly powerful and incredibly dangerous enemy. If anything, he was even more dangerous now. Itachi has at least had an idea what Madara Uchiha was capable of, thanks to his historical infamy, but he knew nothing about 'Tobi'.

"What do you want?" Itachi asked.

Tobi was silent for a moment, "That is the real question isn't it? What I want is to end this worthless reality." he said, all traces of his previous light-hearted tone gone.

Itachi slipped off his backpack and tossed it aside, "Hana, Shisui, my orders still stand. Stay out of this unless I fail." he said, activating his Sharingan.

After a moment of hesitation, his friends stepped back to stand against the chamber's back wall.

"We'll let you handle it for now if it's _that_ important to you, but we're not going to let you get hurt, orders or not." Shisui told him, pointedly drawing a kunai.

Itachi glanced back at his cousin, "Whatever happens, make sure Hana gets out of here safely."

"We're _all_ getting out of here."

"Just promise me."

Shisui sighed, "I promise."

Drawing a kunai from the holster on his leg, Itachi stepped forward to challenge the masked man for a second time. Just as he did, he saw something strange at Tobi's feet. The ground shivered, and something sprouted up from it. At first Itachi though it was a plant of some kind, but then it opened up like a venus fly trap, revealing something humanoid within it. The creature had the shape of a man, but it was split down the middle; one half paper white, the other too black to discern its features. Itachi was almost positive that this was the fleeting shape he had seen twice before.

"Orochimaru is taking his time with the fourth one." the creature told Tobi, "Should I expedite matters?"

"No." Tobi replied, "Deliver my instructions to Pain. I will join you when I'm finished here."

The plant man sighed, but strangely, the voice was different this time, "We never get to have any fun these days."

With that, the creature disappeared back into the ground.

"Now," said the masked man, "To dispose of a recurring annoyance."

Itachi did not allow his opponent to make the first move. He threw the kunai in his hand, aiming for the single eye-hole of Tobi's mask, and followed it up with a dozen shuriken. He watched carefully this time, and was not surprised when none of them hit their mark, just as before. It confirmed what he had begun to suspect after his defeat three years ago. He had not missed, nor had Tobi dodged the weapons. They had passed straight through his body as if he were a ghost.

Hana drew a sharp breath behind him, "Did you see that…?"

Itachi was already moving, running a wide left arc around Tobi, hoping to draw the fight away from his friends. He formed the familiar set of hand seals for the first jutsu he had ever learned.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu."

Itachi expelled a giant fireball at his enemy. He doubted it would harm Tobi, but he hoped it would block his line of sight for just a moment.

Suddenly, some kind of tendrils shot through the fire, striking Itachi with the force of a wrecking ball, and twisting around his body. To his shock, he realized that they appeared to be tree branches. This could only be Mokuton—wood style—supposedly unique to the First Hokage. Who was this man?

When the fire died out, Itachi could see the twisted branches sprouting grotesquely from the right side of the masked man's body. The limbs constricted tightly, slowly strangling the life from their captive. A powerful explosion suddenly rocked the cavern, spraying shards of shattered wood in all directions, surprising even Tobi.

Putting the distraction of his captured shadow clone to use, Itachi was able to get behind Tobi unseen.

"Katon: Karyudan no Jutsu."

A torrent of flame surged toward his masked opponent, igniting the splintered wood protruding from his body. It was quickly extinguished, but his black cloak was left in charred tatters, and the twisted flesh below was scorched. There was hope for this fight yet. If he could be taken by surprise, Tobi was not as invulnerable as he seemed.

Tobi whirled around, lashing out with a jet of fire like a whip as he turned. Itachi only barely managed to escape, the flame licking his face and shoulder as he twisted away and fell to the ground.

"Above you!" Shisui shouted from across the chamber.

Itachi rolled away just as a mass of earth and metal came crashing down where he had been a moment earlier. The explosion had weakened the structure. The tunnels were collapsing.

Jumping to his feet, Itachi's eyes found Tobi just in time to see him vanish into some kind of swirling, midair vortex that seemed to center on his lone eye. Suddenly he reappeared just inches from Itachi's face. He had no time to react. Tobi slammed him brutally into the wall, cracking his head against the solid rock and setting off a white flash behind his eyes. In desperation, Itachi resorted to his strongest weapon: genjutsu. Nothing happened.

"My Sharingan is infinitely more powerful than yours. Your genjutsu has no hope of affecting me." Tobi informed him smugly.

Feral snarls echoed through the cavern, and a razor sharp set of teeth sank into Tobi's shoulder. Two more ripped at the arm that pinned Itachi.

"This 'puppy' has some bite to go with her bark." Hana growled, driving her tanto blade at Tobi's head.

Tobi's grip on Itachi loosened for a split second. He managed to free his right arm, and did the only thing he could; he swung the hardest punch he could muster. Sharp pain shot through Itachi's hand and arm as his fist connected. The punch caught the edge of Tobi's mask, skewing it aside. In that same moment, Hana's blade found its target. Tobi teleported away just as he had done before, but the mask was already cracking and falling in pieces to the floor.

Silence engulfed the cavern. Itachi's jaw fell slack as he stared at the unmasked face before him. He heard the sound of a kunai clattering to the ground from where Shisui stood.

"…Obito."

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	23. Chapter 23

I own nothing!

**Chapter Twenty-three**

* * *

"…Obito? ...Aniki?" Shisui asked, his voice strangled.

Itachi had been very young when the older of his two cousins was believed to have died, but his face was still clear in his mind. The right half of this man's face was horrifically scarred, but Itachi was sure. It was Obito.

"That name means nothing to me." he told Shisui dismissively, "I'm not that person anymore."

"I-I don't understand… You… You died…" Shisui stammered.

"My life was spared that day for a purpose. I was chosen to bring an end to this hell we call reality, and finally bring peace. Why would you want to stop that?"

"What are you talking about?" Itachi asked, he and Hana cautiously making their way back toward Shisui, "What are you planning to do?"

"Mugen Tsukiyomi." Obito replied, "A genjutsu cast on the entire world. No more war, no more false heroes, no more suffering, and no more free will to mess it all up. Nothing but peace. I know you Shisui, Itachi; you want peace as much as I do. Why don't you help me?"

"What do you want with Naruto?" Itachi demanded.

Obito shrugged, "I don't. I want what's sealed inside him. One piece of the Ten Tails that will give me the power I need. The Five Great nations have been using the tailed beasts to propagate war for as long as anyone can remember. I think it's fitting that I use them to _stop_ war once and for all."

Itachi knew that extracting the Bijū from a Jinchūriki would almost certainly be fatal to the host.

"I won't let you have him."

"Then you're just another obstacle in my path."

Shisui's hands were shaking, "You'd really kill us?"

"Life, death… It won't matter either way when I'm done. _My_ reality will be perfect."

Obito began making a set of hand seals, but Itachi was already moving. He threw a kunai straight up at the tall ceiling. It wedged into a deep crack, forcing it open further. The chamber began to quake and the ceiling crumbled down. Itachi yanked his friends into the connecting tunnel just as the debris sealed it off.

The Haimaru Brothers barked wildly. Itachi and Hana quickly got to their feet, but Shisui did not move. He sat propped up against the tunnel wall staring into space.

"Shisui, I'm sorry, but we don't have time for this." Itachi said, putting a hand on his friends shoulder, "He's going to come through that rock any second now."

"I… I can't…"

Itachi had never seen him like this before. Shisui had always the one who could come up with a joke and a smile, even in the worst situations. Now he was a trembling, helpless heap on the cave floor.

"Shisui-niisan… I understand. I don't want to fight him either, but… you heard what he said in there. It's insane. We can't let him do what he's planning. I don't think I'm strong enough. Your eyes might be our only chance of stopping him."

"I'm sorry, Itachi… I can't do it. But…" he looked up intently, "_You_ could. If you had the Mangekyo, you could do it."

The realization of what he was suggesting hit Itachi like a sledgehammer.

"Stop." he ordered.

"I can't fight my brother, but you said it yourself; we have to stop him, and the Mangekyo might be our only shot."

"I said stop!"

"No! You've always been stronger than me! You could put it to way better use than I could! All you have to do is kill me!"

"Whoa! What the hell are you talking about?" Hana exclaimed.

Shisui ignored her. He stood up and forced a kunai into Itachi's hand, "Just do it!"

Itachi shoved him away, "I won't! There's no reason for us both to die!"

"I'm not talking about both of us, I'm talking about me!"

"It _is_ about both of us! I'm going to die anyway; I'm not going to let you die too!"

"Are you both out of your minds?!" Hana asked, pushing between them, "Who said anybody had to die?!"

"I'm _already_ dying." Itachi finally admitted, "It's some kind of rare anemia. I have a few years left, then it's over. I want my death to mean something. If that means taking Obito down with me, then so be it, but not you too."

There was a long silence as Shisui and Hana stared at him, apparently trying to decide if they had heard him correctly.

Shisui fell back against the wall and slid down to the ground, burying his face in his hands, "This has to be some kind of twisted nightmare."

Itachi was suddenly blindsided by a haymaker to his jaw, knocking him to the ground. For a moment he thought Obito had returned, but when the room stopped spinning, it was Hana standing over him, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

"We had a deal! You promised me, no more secrets!"

"…I'm sorry." Itachi said quietly, "I… I didn't know how to tell you."

"And you thought _now_ was the right time?" she asked furiously, her fists clenched.

Itachi had to look away, "I'm sorry." he repeated, then glanced over at the nearly catatonic Shisui, "Hana… Please get Shisui out of here. He can't fight like this."

"And just leave you here? You just said you weren't strong enough to beat that guy."

"I have a plan, but you still have to make it back to the village. If this doesn't work, you have to warn the Hokage. Do you understand?"

"This plan of yours… It doesn't end with you coming back, does it?"

"…Tell Sasuke and Naruto that I'm sorry I couldn't be there for their graduation."

The tears that had been threatening to fall from Hana's eyes finally broke free.

Itachi squeezed her shoulder, "Take Shisui and go. Find Anko. I'm counting on you to get them home."

Hana roughly wiped the tears away with the back of her hand and nodded, "Yes, sir."

"…Goodbye."

Suddenly, Hana's hand slipped behind Itachi's neck, pulling him down to her. Their lips only barely touched, but the sensation put a stop to any conscious thought in Itachi's mind for a few long seconds.

Hana pulled away, "Goodbye, Itachi."

Itachi watched in silence as Hana hauled Shisui to his feet and disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel. One of the Haimaru Brothers hesitated to follow. He turned back and nuzzled Itachi's hand before dashing after his master.

"Take care of them." Itachi whispered into the dark.

* * *

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	24. Chapter 24

I own nothing!

**Chapter Twenty-four**

* * *

Now alone, Itachi looked down at his right hand. It was beginning to swell and was a decidedly unpleasant shade of purple. He held it under a stream of water falling from the cracked ceiling to clean the blood from his raw knuckles. He knew he had probably broken the hand punching Obito, but at least the pain provided a small distraction from the pounding in his chest.

Itachi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He was willing to die if that was what it took to protect the village, but that did not make the prospect of blowing himself up any less nerve-wracking, particularly since he was not entirely sure it would work. He was able to detonate shadow clones by overloading them with chakra, then releasing it all at once. It was what he had done with the shadow clone Obito had captured earlier. In theory, he could do the same thing to his own body, but on a much greater scale. For obvious reasons, however, it was not something he had ever seen in practice. There was also the fact that he would somehow have to prevent Obito from simply phasing through the explosion or it would all be for nothing.

"So, you intend to fight me alone, huh?"

Itachi spun around. Obito now stood just a few feet away, in front of the wall of rubble that had once been the entrance into the large chamber.

"Oh well. I'll just take care of this and find Shisui later. I'll probably need his eyes before long."

"What happened to you?" Itachi asked, trying to stall for as long as possible, "The Obito I knew would never have hurt his little brother."

"I told you; I'm _not_ the Obito you knew. I am no one. As for what happened," he scowled, "I realized I was in hell."

"…I've always believed that we create our own reality. Whatever hell you're in, you built for yourself." Itachi told him, "Shisui and I… we used to look up to you, you know."

Obito scoffed, "You were the only ones. I was nothing back then; a weak, pathetic failure. But not anymore. I finally have the power to fix this broken world and create a perfect reality. Eternal peace. That's what you want, isn't it? Peace?"

"What you're talking about isn't peace; it's an illusion, a lie."

"As far as I'm concerned, _this _world is the lie! What kind of 'reality' kills the innocent people—the _good_ people—and lets murders and hypocrites rule the world?! That is the lie!" Obito shouted, enraged, "And what in all your seventeen-year-old wisdom is _your_ grand plan for peace? Are you another one who thinks you can achieve peace through fear? Or do you think the entire world will just wake up one day and decide to stop killing each other? Don't delude yourself, Itachi. Humanity will just keep coming up with more excuses and more justifications for war until someone takes control. That person has to be me."

He was slowly making his way along the wall, and Itachi had to keep turning to face him. He was grimly aware that Obito was forcing him into a corner, but there was nothing he could do about it without turning his back to him.

"There is no instant solution. Peace is something we have to fight and bleed for." Itachi said.

"War for peace. Seems to defeat the point doesn't it?"

"It isn't _for_ us. It's for the future generations. It's our price to pay."

"I've paid enough, and I'm tired of waiting." Obito replied.

In an instant, branches shot out from the right side of Obito's body, reaching toward Itachi like skeletal fingers.

"Suiton: Sujinheki no Jutsu."

Itachi seized control of the water dripping from the ceiling, turning it from a steady trickle to a rushing torrent, and forcing it out in front of him like a shield. The branches could not withstand the surging water and broke away, but Obito was not to be outdone. He responded with a torch of white hot flame that exploded into a blast of scalding steam when it hit the water, throwing Itachi back with the force of a bomb.

Itachi crashed through the rubble, falling like a ragdoll back into the ruined remains of the larger chamber. He could feel warm blood trickling down his face and into his eyes. He tried to stand, only for his breath to be stolen away by unspeakable pain. A horrible, tortured sound echoed through the cavern. It took Itachi a moment to realize that it was his own scream. He gasped for breath only to choke, an agonizing chain of coughs ripping through his chest.

Itachi could only watch as Obito appeared beside one of the nearby heaps of rubble. He selected a broken length of pipe with a jagged end, then strode over to where Itachi writhed in agony.

"I'm not a medic," he said mockingly, "But that looks like a broken back to me; probably a limb or two as well."

Itachi had never felt so helpless. Even the slightest movement sent blinding pain shooting through his entire body. He was utterly defenseless as Obito stood over him and raised the jagged pipe.

"You _did_ fight well, but you never really stood a chance. Don't worry, though; I won't forget you when I create my new world."

Obito thrust the pipe downward, aimed directly for Itachi's heart. With one last surge of adrenaline, Itachi somehow found the strength to force his body to move. He only managed to roll a few inches, but it was just enough. Rather than a lethal blow to the heart, the makeshift spear pierced his left shoulder all the way through to the ground. Again, his screams filled the cavern.

Now pinned, Itachi was truly helpless. There was only one last move to make. He knew it was probably a lost cause, but he had to try. He called upon every bit of chakra he possessed, and with the last strength in his arms, began to form the hand seals necessary to detonate himself. Unfortunately, his injured hand slowed him down just a little too much.

"You don't know when to give up."

Obito slammed his foot down on Itachi's broken hand, and ripped the pipe from his shoulder, raising it for one last strike. This time Itachi was out of options. He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.

Instead of death, Itachi felt a gust a wind against his face, followed quickly by a startled and pained gasp that was not his own. When he opened his eyes, Shisui was standing over him. In front of him stood Obito, his scarred face twisted in shock and pain, the pipe jutting from his body just below the sternum. Blood spread quickly from the wound. He fell to his knees.

"This isn't… isn't enough to kill me." he choked, blood spilling from his mouth, "I won't lose… I can't… I can't lose…"

"Aniki… Give up." Shisui said solemnly.

There was a strange force behind his voice that Itachi had never heard before. When he got a look at Shisui's eyes, he did not see the distinctive three tomoe of the Sharingan, but instead, a shape like a black, four-pointed pinwheel on the red iris. This was the Mangekyo Sharingan, the power that Shisui had not dared to use since he first awakened it.

Almost instantly, Obito stopped struggling, his arms falling limp at his sides. He slumped to ground.

"It's over." Shisui said quietly.

The next thing Itachi knew, Hana was kneeling over him. Her pace was frantic, but her demeanor was calm and determined.

"You're messed up bad, but I don't think your spinal cord was damaged. As long as you don't move, you won't end up paralyzed." she told him, trying to stem the blood from his wounded shoulder.

Itachi started to nod before thinking better of it. Instead, he glanced over at the other two, careful not to move his head. Shisui was kneeling over Obito, his face unreadable.

Hana… Do you think maybe…," he said in barely more than a whisper, "Could you… Is there still chance that he might…"

"Don't. Just let me go." Obito interrupted, "I've had enough."

"Aniki…"

"This isn't… over yet, Shisui." Obito warned, struggling to speak, "Take my eye. Only the right one will… do you… any good, but at least you won't… you won't be totally blind." he gasped for breath, "You're going to need it. Even without me… Madara could still…"

Obito suddenly began to convulse, his eyes rolling back in his head. Just as suddenly, he stopped.

Obito Uchiha was dead for the second time, his last warning still on his lips.

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	25. Chapter 25

I own nothing!

**Chapter Twenty-five**

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Itachi watched as Shisui used the fallen rubble to bury his brother. Shisui's right eye was bandaged following the implantation of Obito's Sharingan. Hana had been hesitant to perform the procedure since it was not something she had ever done, but Shisui had insisted that she be the one to do it. It would have been difficult to explain to another medic. Itachi could do nothing to help. Hana had injected him with something that left him artificially paralyzed to prevent him from injuring himself further.

When Shisui had finished, he stared at the makeshift grave for a long time.

"Please… Don't tell anyone who he was." he finally said, "I want people to remember him like we used to, not like this."

"I won't tell anyone if you don't" Hana promised.

Itachi agreed, "No one will know."

"…Thank you."

Hana was hard at work on Itachi. She had healed his lesser wounds with medical ninjutsu, but his more serious injuries would require more care than she could provide in the field. He needed to get back to Konoha.

"Did you find Anko?" Itachi asked.

Hana nodded, "She's back in the tunnel. The Brothers are with her. She's beat up, but she'll be fine. No sign of Orochimaru though."

"Then we need to go."

Hana pulled the collapsible litter from her large med kit and unfolded it.

"You can't be serious." Itachi groaned.

Hana raised an eyebrow at him, "You didn't actually think you were going to _walk_ out of here like this, did you?"

Much to Itachi's chagrin, Hana and Shisui carefully moved him onto the litter and carried him over the rubble, out of the large chamber into the tunnel. There he saw Anko leaning up against the wall surrounded by the Haimaru Brothers. She looked quite a bit worse for wear, but she was awake and on her feet.

"Damn," she commented, "And I thought _I_ got messed up."

"Can you walk?"

"A lot better than you can."

"Then let's go. These tunnels aren't stable."

It had taken the team a day and a half of uninterrupted travel to reach the facility the first time. Now that Itachi was immobile and Anko was injured, their pace was slowed drastically, and rest stops were no longer optional. It would take days to get back to Konoha. The trip was not only excruciatingly painful for Itachi, but a blow to his pride as well. No shinobi, let alone team commander, wanted to be carried home on a stretcher. He wanted to keep his mind as clear as possible, so he refused all but the most basic painkillers.

As the sun set on the first day, the team set up camp near a small stream. They were cautious and did not light a fire that might give away their location. Despite being beyond exhausted, the pain did not allow Itachi to sleep.

Shisui took first watch. He stared out into the darkness, clearly troubled. He had barely said a word since they left the Akatsuki facility. It was unsettling for Itachi to see his normally cheerful cousin this way.

"Are you going to be alright?" Itachi asked him, breaking the silence.

Shisui did not answer for a long time, "…He was going to use a genjutsu on the entire world, take away everyone's free will. We had to stop him, right?"

"Right."

"But I stopped him by using a genjutsu on _him_ and taking away _his_ free will. Doesn't that make me exactly the same as him?"

Itachi did not know how to answer, "…You did the right thing." he said finally.

"I don't know." Shisui sighed, "I hope so."

"So, are you going to be alright then?"

Shisui offered a weak smile, "Eventually."

Silence blanketed the camp again until Itachi finally asked the question that had been on his mind since the moment he saw Shisui with the bloody pipe in his hand.

"Shisui… Why did you and Hana come back?"

Shisui rubbed the back of his neck, "You told us to find Anko; we did that. Once we knew the rest of the team was alright, we _had_ to go back for you."

"I gave an order."

"Look, Itachi… The man I killed today… that wasn't my brother. The Obito I knew died when he was thirteen. Since then—well even before that, really—_you_ have been my brother. I couldn't leave my brother to die, orders or not. And Hana… well, I really shouldn't have to explain that."

"I'm not happy that you disobeyed a direct order and risked your lives, but… thank you." Itachi said.

"Any time."

By the time the team finally made it back to Konoha, Itachi's condition had worsened. He was fading in and out of consciousness. He was rushed into surgery the moment they passed through the village gates. It was another two days before he woke up. The Third Hokage was waiting when he did.

"I'm glad to see you're awake. Your family has been worried." Sarutobi told him.

"To be honest, sir, I don't think I would mind be unconscious a bit longer." Itachi replied, grimacing at the pain.

"According to the medical staff, your recovery is progressing well. However… they told me something else as well. Why didn't you report your illness when you were first diagnosed?"

"…It wasn't necessary yet, Hokage-sama. I would have reported it immediately as soon as it began to interfere with my duties. It hadn't reached that point yet."

Sarutobi sighed, "You truly possess the Will of Fire, Itachi, but there is more to life than the mission."

"…Please, don't remove me from active status."

Sarutobi looked him in the eye for a long time then sighed, "Very well. If that is what you want."

"Thank you, sir."

"I've already received the reports from the rest of your team, but I am interested to hear yours."

Itachi recounted the mission from beginning to end, but as he had promised Shisui, made no mention of Obito's name.

"Orochimaru escaped, and from what I gathered, the Akatsuki are still a viable threat even without Tobi." Itachi concluded, "Also… there was what Tobi said about Madara. It wasn't completely coherent, but it sounded as if the real Madara Uchiha might still be involved. I don't think this is over yet, Hokage-sama."

"Perhaps not, but you did well. Congratulations on a successful mission."

"Thank you, sir."

Sarutobi stood to leave, but paused at the door and looked back.

"You have my word that I will do everything I can to find some form of treatment for you. You are an invaluable asset to the village, and I consider you a personal friend."

Itachi was speechless. He had no idea how to respond to that.

"Rest and focus on your recovery." Sarutobi continued, "As I recall, you have a graduation to attend soon."

The Hokage left and Itachi settled back in to try to sleep. No sooner had he closed his eyes, he sensed a presence in the room, and they snapped open again. Danzo stood in the doorway.

"You might not have ended up here if you had heeded my advice."

Itachi set his jaw, "I don't need your advice."

"It isn't over; you said it yourself. The threat to the village remains. The time will soon come when you will have to choose."

"Choose what?"

The old man smirked, "You will see."

Without a word of explanation, Danzo departed, leaving Itachi with the same sense of unease that seemed to surround the man.

Over the next several days, Itachi was allowed to leave his bed. The doctors tried to insist that he use a wheelchair at first, but Itachi adamantly refused. He eventually consented to crutches and began the slow process of relearning how to walk.

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Thanks for reading! Please review!


	26. Chapter 26

I own nothing!

_The final chapter! Enjoy!_

**Chapter Twenty-six**

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It was the day of the Academy graduation. Itachi stood among the crowd of spectators as the students were called up one at a time by their instructors. Itachi's parents were also somewhere in the crowd, but he had been doing his best to avoid them lately. His mother had brought up his impending engagement to Mariko the very first time they visited him in the hospital, and his father had all but interrogated him about the classified details of the mission.

Sasuke's name was called. The boy stood up and walked forward calmly. He accepted his headband and bowed respectfully to Iruka. When he turned around to return to his seat, his expression was serious, but Itachi could tell he was struggling to keep it that way.

The next name called was Naruto's. Predictably, the blond did not even bother trying to feign stoicism. He let out a whoop, sprinted forward, and hugged Iruka after receiving his headband, grinning from ear to ear the entire time. Itachi shook his head and chucked. The Jonin who received Naruto was in for a challenge. Itachi was a bit surprised by the pang of sadness that came with knowing that, after over five years, his mission was now complete. Naruto was now officially a ninja, and he was on his own. Itachi was no longer his protector.

Itachi heard someone approaching through the crowd. He glanced over and saw Kakashi, his hands stuffed in his pockets, looking characteristically bored.

"Thought you might want to know; they've both been assigned to me." he said.

Itachi looked at him, "Do you plan on actually _keeping_ this team?"

Kakashi shrugged, his visible eye squinting in an unseen smile, "That depends on them, the girl too; but I've got a good feeling about this one."

"You'll take care of them, right?"

"You have to ask?"

After the graduation, Itachi waited outside for the boys to be officially released and finish talking with their classmates. He did not have to wait long.

"Itachi-niisan! Did you see?!" Naruto asked excitedly as he burst through the Academy doors.

"Yes, I saw. It would have been difficult to not to." Itachi replied with a smirk.

Naruto adjusted his new headband, still grinning.

"I'm glad you could be here, Aniki." Sasuke said.

"So am I… There's something I need to talk to you both about."

Naruto apparently heard the seriousness in Itachi's voice and stopped smiling, "What's wrong?"

"I didn't want to tell you this until after you graduated. I didn't want to distract you."

"We graduated. Just tell us." Sasuke said apprehensively.

"…I'm very sick. I have been for a while. I won't be around for much longer, maybe a few more years."

Sasuke looked as if he was going to puke, "You're… You're going to die?"

"Eventually, yes."

"No way!" Naruto shouted, "Me and Sasuke won't let that happen!"

Itachi smiled sadly, "There's nothing either of you can do. There's no cure."

"Then we'll find one!"

Sasuke seemed to have collected himself, "Yeah. We'll find a cure. We'll find _something_."

"I don't want you to worry about me. You're both Genin now. You have your own responsibilities and your own missions to think about."

Naruto shook his head emphatically, "I don't care! We're not going to let you die!"

It took a while, but Itachi eventually managed to calm down Sasuke and Naruto enough to send them home. He wandered the streets for a bit, trying to collect his thoughts, but the excitement in the village following the graduation made it difficult. He set out to find somewhere quiet.

Itachi set his crutches aside and carefully sat down against the far southern wall, not far from the river. He winced as it strained his back. His spine had been repaired with medical ninjutsu, but it was still very painful. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He had intended to meditate, but instead found himself reflecting on the last several years and the complications they had brought to his life. He sometimes wondered what life would have been like if he had not been born an Uchiha, or had not chosen to follow the shinobi path. He wondered if he would be happier now.

"For a cripple, you are a hard man to track down." said a familiar voice.

Itachi opened his eyes just as Hana sat down beside him. He had come here to be alone, but now that she was here, he found that he did not mind the company.

"The Brothers aren't with you?" he asked.

Hana shook her head, "I just came from the graduation. Besides, they're still exhausted. They could use the break."

"What about you? How are you doing?"

"_I'm_ fine. I wasn't the one with a stab wound, a concussion, second degree burns, a broken hand, broken ribs, a cracked femur, and—oh yeah—a fractured _spine_."

"Thanks for the list. I'd almost forgotten." Itachi said sarcastically.

"You really had us worried, you know."

"…I know."

"We… We haven't really had the chance to talk about what happened on the mission. I mean, about you being sick, and… the other stuff."

"Are you still angry at me for not telling you sooner?"

"A little, yeah." Hana admitted, "But that's not really the point. I just… I don't want to lose my best friend."

"I don't think either of us have a say in it. Sasuke and Naruto seem convinced they can find a cure though." Itachi replied with a rueful smile.

"Well, then there's nothing to worry about." Hana said, forcing a light tone, "I doubt there's anything those two can't do once they've made up their minds. And I hope you don't think _I'm_ just going to give up on you either."

"Hana Inuzuka giving up… That _would_ be unprecedented."

"Exactly."

Itachi sighed and leaned his head against the wall, "I wish everything could just be simple for once. The Akatsuki are still out there, Danzo has been lurking around, Shisui still isn't himself, my father doesn't seem to understand what 'classified' means, and to top things off, my mother wants to discuss wedding plans."

Hana grimaced, "Yeah… It seems like you keep drawing the short straw. But maybe it's because you can handle it."

"…Maybe."

"You know I'll always be here for you, right? Shisui's going through a lot right now, but when it comes down to it, so will he."

Itachi smiled, a real smile this time, "I know. Thank you."

"There was… also that other thing that happened down there. I guess I should probably apologize for that. I… wasn't really thinking." Hana said, her ears burning bright red.

"In that case, I think I'd like to stop thinking for a while too."

Hana looked over at him, confused. Itachi took the opportunity to lift a hand to touch her cheek, tracing her red clan markings with his thumb. He leaned in slowly, gently brushing his lips across hers. Just for a moment, the looming dilemmas in his life were far away.

It occurred to Itachi that maybe none of those things mattered anyway. Even if he were to die tomorrow, he was satisfied with how he had lived his life and the people who had been a part of it. He had been the best big brother he could to Sasuke. He had made a real difference in Naruto's life. He had helped keep the village safe for another day. He had done something with his life, small though it might have been in the grand scheme of things, and he could be happy with that.

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Thanks for reading! You've all been great! Keep an eye out for the sequel!


	27. Coming Soon

Thanks for reading, everybody! I appreciate all of you have who have been reading from the beginning, especially those who left reviews!

The sequel, tentatively titled "Fall of the Guardian", is in the works. However, a new job, which includes a couple months at the Police Academy, will slow down writing a bit. Still, I hope to begin posting around February. Keep an eye out! In the mean time, here's a quick preview:

_Itachi's time as Naruto Uzumaki's bodyguard is complete, and he has now turned his attention toward hunting the Akatsuki. The bigger threat may be much closer to home, however. Tensions between the Uchiha clan and the village are at an all time high, and Itachi may soon be forced to choose a side._

There you have it! I have decided to turn this into a trilogy, and have the second and third installations plotted out. I am excited to continue! Hope to see you there!


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